So, why do people dislike questions?

Ah, the Science board. Home at last.

Science is not a belief system, but a method by which we can test beliefs. Science is us operating under the assumption that we can understand the universe and the world around us and we can discover what the universe is through rigorous observation, questioning and testing and the finding of evidence.

The method has brought us all of the comforts that we see today, from computers to automobiles to medicine. So, I would say that the method is a very good way to judge reality and figure out how to achieve things.

So, why do you think people dislike it when you ask questions and try and observe and understand certain things? Why are some subjects "sensitive" while others are okay to deconstruct and examine?

I'm not pointing any fingers at any beliefs, this is a simple question on why people are hesitant to allow logic and the scientific method into their lives in some instances, but hesistant in others.

Oops.

I'm not pointing any fingers at any beliefs, this is a simple question on why people are hesitant to allow logic and the scientific method into their lives in some instances, but not hesistant in other instances.

"If you want to ask a question, you need to know who you are asking and how they respond to questions and which approach works best at getting what you want from them."

That's funny, I would assume that someone asking a question would want an answer. Unless the question is rhetorical. Anything else is assumption.

"In this country you have the right to ask all the questions you want. You do not have a right to get an answer. That getting an answer comes down to your ability to get the other person to open up. So if you are not getting answers, check your approach, not the other person's. You will get more mileage out of adjust your strategy than trying to get them to change."

Ah yes, blame the person asking the question.

I never said I didn't want to listen, I just found your answers unfounded and using poor logic.

As for being emotional, lol.

"So, why do you think people dislike it when you ask questions and try and observe and understand certain things? Why are some subjects "sensitive" while others are okay to deconstruct and examine?"

Well, some people are comfortable with their place in life, with their dogma, and they feel questioning it can only damage what they built up to that point, I guess.

Wings, there was absolutely nothing wrong with how you worded your OP. Primegen admittedly enjoys "bothering" people, which is the very definition of a bully. I hope you take him with a grain of salt. Maybe once he gets beyond whatever compels him to behave like a mean little girl, he'll be worth responding to. Don't get me wrong. Antagonists can propel us forward, but only if they have some substance and intent beyond hurting people. I find him peculiar, but I truly hope that he can combat the misery which is obviously eating him up.

That said...

Questioning rocks the boat, and the vast majority of people seem to think that they can't swim. In short, questioning another's world view can often scare the heck out of some people. Take the mouse with two mothers. (If you are not familiar, a scientist was able to create sperm from a mouse egg, and then used it to fertilize another egg, so the end result was two biological mothers and no father) I'm blown away and intrigued that this can be done, and somewhat interested in the implications. Yet I've read many, many statements about how the scientist is "evil", and so on. Why? Because he questioned.

Worst yet, in the eyes of some, he got an answer. So maybe it's the possible answers that some are really freaked out by.

Interesting, valid question Wings, it certainly does make one think.. Life is many layered and highy complex; first there's the nuts and bolts of science; where research and observation is great and has given us so much, advancing our outer world and beyond in ways we never imagined. Then there's the elusive, mysterious inner world, that can't be answered or observed so easily, all of the time. I think when it comes to things that are not so 'black and white', it's natural that there will be alot more, speculation, sensitivity and emotion involved. And as Yama mentioned, personal dogmas and beliefs. Even simple hope and faith can be a driving factor for some. But of course, how one feels personally about the observable or unobserved, does not necessarily make it true or untrue. More often than not, our world simply, 'is what it is', whether humans touch it, observe it or choose to ignore it. In short, questions are good and certainly needed. Science will always be extremely invaluable and higly respected, but yet i think it's fair to say science cannot validate or disprove absolutely 100% everything all of the time. Anyway, just my personal take on it..

You flatter yourself. I came to the science section and there you were.

Really, I don't want to know anything more about you. You are completely uninteresting. It's not hatred. It's apathy.

This will be the last time I respond to you. You're just too goofy to bother with.

I wonder if the day will come (certainly not in our lifetimes, or any time soon) when all of the questions will be answered. I've thought about this a lot, and it's tough to wrap my mind around, but I'd like to hope that the human race will one day have full knowledge. Yet even as I say that, I couldn't even state what "full knowledge" may be. It seems that the answers just lead to more questions, so it's probably wishful thinking on my part.

"This should answer why people don't like to be asked questions. If you are going to presume the answer then asking questions is baseless."

sb, the reason I said that was that primegen's answer was meant to "push" my buttons. I have no problem with people's answers when they are sincere and not being used to bully people.

Yes, but the thing is, I don't have to accept the answers I'm given. That's why I ask more questions and confront answers I'm given. I'd say that's a big part of finding the best answers you can. That's why I question and sometimes even dismiss answers if I feel they are not founded on well-thought out premise.

I see nothing wrong with that.

Okay, I admit that I have been kneejerk in my responses. You are right. I recognize that I have not been trying to come up with adequate counter-arguments lately. I guess I was just a bit not wanting another "science, should we have this board" thread again.

I apologize for my behavior in that regard.

I did create this thread, not in a kneejerk reaction, however. I will restate my question and will endeavor to simply focus on the arguments, instead of letting myself get personally involved.

Why do some people have an aversion to being asked questions, specifically questions about values and beliefs?

It is of my opinion that many times, arguments and beliefs are held even when they are no longer valid, simply due to being engrained into their belief system. It is the nature of a person to want to be right, as I have so rightly demonstrated, that even when a clear question that questions that action is shown, defensiveness and evasiveness is the end-result. Especially if those beliefs were reached on an emotional, rather than logical level.

Okay primegen.

>> That's a complex answer. First, many people come from belief systems or value systems that have been threatened in the past and question them feels like a hostile act.

>> Another aspect is that values and beliefs are the way in which we live, these are core systems in which people manage their lives. When you start to question them, you are essentially attacking their way of live and their very nature as an individual.


I'm sorry, but I have to disagree and state that those two do not naturally follow. Questioning someone's beliefs is not the same as questioning that person's nature. That's called taking things personally. I can question your belief that smoking is good without questioning your actual value as a human being.


>> It is also a sign of disrespect, that the questioner feels the need to pick apart and in some way even diminish or disregard the beliefs of another. The act of question therefore becomes extremely hostile. We can look at the Native Americans of the US, there cultures were nearly extinguished because whites believed those value systems and beliefs were no longer relevant. They took the kids away from the homes and would not let them learn their own culture or language. The truly disgraceful ones were the whites in this situation. They questioned and felted they had demonstrated the Native American beliefs and values were not relevant anymore.


I also disagree that it is a sign of disrespect. First of all, you need to be able to answer questions reliably to get by in the world. Secondly, there's a major leap in assumption in your post.

You stated that "that the questioner feels the need to pick apart and in some way even diminish or disregard the beliefs of another" , first of all is this just a personal opinion? and secondly, I don't see this as viable because it is assuming the motives of another without justification.

Perhaps they want to see how well your beliefs will hold up under pressure? Who knows, maybe the person is seeing if it is a good enough belief for him to adopt? Maybe he wants to simply see where you can go with the question and flesh out the belief?

You can't just automatically assume "bad faith" and become defensive. That implies that there may be weakness in your beliefs and may turn people off from understanding your side. Not to mention that, that can be disrespectful to others because it's making assumptions towards others that may not be warranted.

>> You can not approach the study of beliefs and values like you do the study of atoms. I now run a team with 15 cultures; I've run them as large as nearly 50 cultures. I have to learn the value systems and beliefs of each and every one of those. I don't question their values or beliefs, I learn, I open and study and I understand them. In the end, I respect them, I may not agree with everything they do, but I respect their right to have their piece of the pie to do their own thing.


That doesn't demonstrate that questioning is necessarily bad, all you've demonstrated here is that in your personal experience you don't question values and beliefs. Just because I ask questions does not necessarily mean that I am disrespecting them. Now, getting them to answer, that's the hard part. But then again, belief systems have a tendancy to become defensive at questioning.


>> Honestly, you can't learn values and beliefs by questioning, you learn them by interacting with them, with an open mind, divorcing your own values and beliefs for a moment to truly know what it feels like as best you can to live those other values and beliefs.


I am going to have to totally disagree with you here. You certainly can learn your own values and beliefs by questioning. You might not be able to change others, and not like I expect to do so, but you can certainly see how values and beliefs hold up by questioning. Infact, questioning I would say is necessary to truly follow the logic behind beliefs and values, and see if they are truly necessary and truly useful.


>> Sorry Wings, but the scientific questioning approach is not the best method when it comes to these two approaches. That's why people get hostile, it's also disrespectful and nobody is going to give you a real answer when you already set up, in their mind, a tone of disrespect.


But, none of this implies that my motive was as such. This is simply an argument from your own assumptions, that because my questions upset them, that they are not good and disrespectful. Respect goes both ways, and when questions are treated like disrespectful outright because they upset, it makes a person who is trying to understand feel like a fool for even trying.

As for the "setting up in their own mind". That's unfair because it is assuming motives that I do not have and which you don't have anything to back it up except your own gut feelings and personal assumptions. And is a pretty heavy accusation to level at me.

Okay, time to revise my opinion.

One thing that I forgot to realize is environment. For example, we have to take into account the specific purpose of the environment. I think that primarily, the argument isn't really so cut and dry on either being respectful or not. It has a lot to do with the environment.

I'm sure we can all agree that there is a difference between a church service and a message board. One is dedicated towards that belief and the celebration of that belief, the other is dedicated to discussions.

There is a fundamental difference here between asking questions in a message board and asking questions in a church service. The message board being a place to discuss things, and the church service being about celebrating things.

On this, I can agree that sometimes it is disrespectful, and sometimes it isn't. I don't particularly feel that questions here are disrespectful, because it is a messageboard and discussing topics on a message board is...well...what it's dedicated for. Asking questions on a church service, I would not say that is very respectful.

People can ignore my replies and threads on a message board, but if I try and question a pastor in his own service, everything must be stopped to deal with my intruption.

Therefore, I revise and flesh out my opinion. I do believe asking questions can be both respectful and disrespectful, but it depends on the environment. On that stance, I feel that asking someone to defend their position on a message board is okay and is actually what a board is meant to be about.