Top 5 ways of starting a silly, pointless argument

Actually, all of the "Top 5 ways of starting a silly, pointless argument" are the same thing: "Best Of" or "Top 5 through 6 million" lists that newspapers, magazines, and blogs love to trot out for what I can only assume is an exercise in masochism. My personal favorite kind of list involves food, a category that is subjective to the point of absurdity. This is compounded further when these lists come up in big cities like New York or Chicago, cities that have literally thousands of restaurants and could conceivably have any number of restaurants taking the top spot in any culinary category. But even in smaller cities, like here in Madison, "Best Of" lists represent popularity, which is not necessarily indicative of quality, (the definition of quality itself can be argued endlessly.) I think it once again speaks to the power that opinion has on our society. Everybody has their favorite place to go for whatever, but why do people feel the need to get drawn into fits of pointless bickering about what are ultimately matters of personal taste?

More to come...tomorrow.

-Jay

Your opinion doesn't matter

Sort of.

Actually, opinion is often something that I think is quite frequently misunderstood. In the age of information we're currently living in, opinion has been upon a higher pedestal than it ever has before. The internet is often used as validation for one's own worldview and/or ideology, (this blog and others like are a perfect example,) and we have an expectation of respect for our opinions whether one agrees with them or not. However, we often mistake our subjective (brussel sprouts are disgusting) or normative (I think homosexuality is wrong) analyses with positive analysis (scientific observation with empirical data). When I say that I think brussel sprouts are disgusting, (and I do) or that homosexuality is wrong, (which I don't think, but I'm using it as an example,) there is no argument against this. It is a fact; I hate brussel sprouts. You may have a differing opinion, but my opinion as it applies to me is still a fact. But, when someone says, "I think homosexuality is unnatural." now we're dealing what would normally be a positive analysis, but has no basis in fact. And yet, it is treated as such by the person expounding upon that opinion and there is an expectation of respect for that view. To me, opinions that are presented as positive analyses should be exposed for what they are, ignorance disguised as fact. Such ignorance is not worthy of respect.

That all I have for today, and that's a fact.

-Jay