Friday OT #1 - Mr. Know-It-All

[Angie]

I'm not sure exactly how to word this. Is there a topic about which your are more knowledgeable than the general population - so anytime it gets thrown around in casual discussion, it drives you insane when it's just totally misrepresented? If so, do you correct people?

I know more about HIPAA and private health information confidentiality than the average person, for a variety of reasons (including that it is "HIPAA" and not "HIPPA"). This gets misrepresented in debates online and in person all of the time. Since I'm certainly not an authority, just more familiar, I usually don't step in when people are talking about it. It's sort of more fun to watch the dumpster fire.

Do you know a lot about cement vs concrete? Or what is a bull market vs a bear market? What is your topic that drives you insane when people don't understand it?

 

[Al_4_State]

This is going to sound extremely arrogant, but I have a law degree, and I absolutely lose my **** at hearing people with high school educations pontificating about politics with an extremely limited understanding of how the American government works.

You can delete this if it's too cave-y, but when people say things like "America needs to get back to being a Christian nation" I want to slap them.

At this point I don't even bother trying to straighten them out unless I know them well and know they won't be super defensive, because it's been proven that when you confront people who hold an emotional opinion with contradictory facts, they dig their heels further into their wrong, emotional opinion.

 

[ISUAlum2002]

Electric Vehicles. There is a lot of misinformation out there. A LOT.

"They catch fire all the time!" - No, they don't. You just hear about it every time it happens, but there are dozens/hundreds of ICE vehicles that catch fire every day and you don't hear about them.

"What happens when the power goes out? You're not going anywhere!" - Neither are you once you run out of gas, it takes power to pump the gas out of the underground tanks.

And many, many other idiotic misnomers.

 

[Al_4_State]

Oh, when someone calls any craft beer "dark beer". That drives me up a damn wall.

 

[WooBadger18]

This is going to sound extremely arrogant, but I have a law degree, and I absolutely lose my **** at hearing people with high school educations pontificating about politics with an extremely limited understanding of how the American government works.
At this point I don't even bother trying to straighten them out unless I know them well and know they won't be super defensive, because it's been proven that when you confront people who hold an emotional opinion with contradictory facts, they dig their heels further into their wrong, emotional opinion.

Same. I think for me the biggest sports related example is people saying that because the prosecution declined to prosecute/the defendant was found not guilty, the accused definitely didn’t do it and is innocent (and therefore an athlete on their favorite team should be welcomed back with open arms).

Also, people criticizing the plaintiff in the “woman sues McDonald’s for hot coffee case.” McDonald’s was absolutely liable and their actions were egregious

 

[Al_4_State]

Same. I think for me the biggest sports related example is people saying that because the prosecution declined to prosecute/the defendant was found not guilty, the accused definitely didn’t do it and is innocent (and therefore an athlete on their favorite team should be welcomed back with open arms).

Also, people criticizing the plaintiff in the “woman sues McDonald’s for hot coffee case.” McDonald’s was absolutely liable and their actions were egregious

That is one I'll always step in and explain how wrong people are. Usually because their opinion on the case isn't that deeply emotional and they tend to listen.

 

[WooBadger18]

That is one I'll always step in and explain how wrong people are. Usually because their opinion on the case isn't that deeply emotional and they tend to listen.

Yeah, I typically will explain the McDonald’s one too.

I rarely engage with the “he’s innocent” one

 

[throwittoblythe]

This is going to sound extremely arrogant, but I have a law degree, and I absolutely lose my **** at hearing people with high school educations pontificating about politics with an extremely limited understanding of how the American government works.

You can delete this if it's too cave-y, but when people say things like "America needs to get back to being a Christian nation" I want to slap them.

At this point I don't even bother trying to straighten them out unless I know them well and know they won't be super defensive, because it's been proven that when you confront people who hold an emotional opinion with contradictory facts, they dig their heels further into their wrong, emotional opinion.

"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."

I don't consider myself an authority of much of anything. However, I do consider myself pretty well-informed on many of the issues of the day. I don't even bother wading into these treacherous waters anymore, but people are so ill-informed on things that they are "convinced" of it just drives me crazy. SERENITY NOW!

 

[Al_4_State]

Yeah, I typically will explain the McDonald’s one too.

I rarely engage with the “he’s innocent” one

I wouldn't either.

 

[Al_4_State]

"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."

I don't consider myself an authority of much of anything. However, I do consider myself pretty well-informed on many of the issues of the day. I don't even bother wading into these treacherous waters anymore, but people are so ill-informed on things that they are "convinced" of it just drives me crazy. SERENITY NOW!

HOOCHIE MAMA

 

[Angie]

That is one I'll always step in and explain how wrong people are. Usually because their opinion on the case isn't that deeply emotional and they tend to listen.

I want to say I watched a documentary that went into that case a few years back, and they were horribly liable.

I think you nailed it with emotional reactions vs logical reactions. That's where so many people just lose their minds. Just your feeling isn't a reason for much of anything on a scale much larger than "what should I have for breakfast."

It also drives me nuts when people (related) also don't research much of anything. If you're going to take part in a debate or similar, wouldn't it make more sense to be at least informed as the general layman?

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Being in transportation, I have a really good sense of time/distance, as well as the location of most cities across the country. If you were to pick two random starting and ending points in the US, I could probably give you an intersecting city and time without looking it up. I'd likely be within 150 miles and 2 hours.

The ladies love my logistical prowess.

 

[JM4CY]

Helping a certain demographic of people with a certain set of problems.

 

[RLD4ISU]

It also drives me nuts when people (related) also don't research much of anything. If you're going to take part in a debate or similar, wouldn't it make more sense to be at least informed as the general layman?

That drives me completely nuts as well. So many will only read the headlines or one side and don't thoroughly research it - then refuse to acknowledge anything other than their opinion is the correct fact.

Any more I ask myself "what is my purpose of correcting, educating, discussion" and "is it worth it". Usually it's not worth my time or effect to educate someone that refuses to educate themselves. And I spend less time with those that believe their opinion is fact and the only acceptable one to have.

 

[ISUcyclones11]

Being in transportation, I have a really good sense of time/distance, as well as the location of most cities across the country. If you were to pick two random starting and ending points in the US, I could probably give you an intersecting city and time without looking it up. I'd likely be within 150 miles and 2 hours.

The ladies love my logistical prowess.

Same here. You also see shortages, market downturns, etc ahead of people not in transportation.

Had a conversation with my cousin recently where they recalled me warning them about supply chain shortages about a year ago. Thought that was funny

 

[MeanDean]

Being in transportation, I have a really good sense of time/distance, as well as the location of most cities across the country. If you were to pick two random starting and ending points in the US, I could probably give you an intersecting city and time without looking it up. I'd likely be within 150 miles and 2 hours.

The ladies love my logistical prowess.

Somewhat related to this. This doesn't happen as often now with Garmin and phone aps for navigation, but hearing people give really bad directions. And yes, sometimes I will jump in with some details or corrections if the directions are so poor I'm convinced the poor souls will get lost.

 

[MeanDean]

Being one of the co-hosts of OTN every week I do also find myself correcting people who associate a hit song with the wrong artist/group. Also when a song from one decade is mis-represented as being from a different decade.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

I'm not sure exactly how to word this. Is there a topic about which your are more knowledgeable than the general population - so anytime it gets thrown around in casual discussion, it drives you insane when it's just totally misrepresented? If so, do you correct people?

I know more about HIPAA and private health information confidentiality than the average person, for a variety of reasons (including that it is "HIPAA" and not "HIPPA"). This gets misrepresented in debates online and in person all of the time. Since I'm certainly not an authority, just more familiar, I usually don't step in when people are talking about it. It's sort of more fun to watch the dumpster fire.

Do you know a lot about cement vs concrete? Or what is a bull market vs a bear market? What is your topic that drives you insane when people don't understand it?

After reading the first paragraph, my mind immediately went to concrete vs cement. If someone talks about a cement floor or cement road I always make a comment about how expensive it must be.

 

[Angie]

After reading the first paragraph, my mind immediately went to concrete vs cement. If someone talks about a cement floor or cement road I always make a comment about how expensive it must be.

Thank you! I always use them interchangeably and I knew it wasn't right. I'd drive you nuts!

 

[madguy30]

I've mentioned prior but I had a career in traffic safety and there's so many things that so many people are wrong about that I can hardly stand it.

Also not an expert but some wildlife/outdoor pursuits stuff:
Examples:
--bear spray can be effective and possibly more than a gun since an angry injured bear isn't better than a curious one.
--I have a cousin who's always misidentifying fish in pics they shows me and I have to correct them like a 7 year old.
--fly fishing isn't just for trout and it doesn't mean everything is caught over or on top of the water; it's fishing with a different instrument.
--maybe just a perspective thing but hunting and fishing aren't 'you vs. beast'.