Examples:
Your post: "What if God did this weird thing…
Their reply: “God doesn’t exist so this question is nonsense.”
Your post: “In the year 2075 everyone gets assigned jobs based on…”
Their reply: “Dude, with climate change there will be no us or jobs to do in 2075.”
It’s the Internet. People are trying to have fun and talk about wacky shit and escape from serious matters. Can’t you either refrain from commenting or just play along?
This is not just an online thing. I’ll do you one better.
My job involves, unfortunately, sometimes dealing with people. As much as I’d like to stay in my IT dungeon and remain undisturbed all day, I sometimes do have to emerge into the sunlight and interact with business clients.
Different people’s brains are wired in different ways, not necessarily the same as yours. Based on my totally unscientific observation, it feels like roughly 1 in 5 people cannot comprehend hypotheticals at all. You can’t ask them “picture this, but instead like this” because their brains literally can’t form that image. If it is not an object or situation that is either in front of them, can be shown to them (on a screen, on a document, or whatever), or is one they have had personal and very specific past experience with, it’s lost on them. Even if the hypothetical you’re describing is barely any different from something you’re physically showing them right now, except some trivial detail, they can’t wrap their heads around it. You can break it down, you can explain it step-by-step until you’re blue in the face. It doesn’t work. As soon as you get to the last element, the hypothetical one, they tune out instantly.
And in my further experience around half of people in this camp will become confused and they’ll handle that by getting angry at you.
I’m not a brainologist so I don’t know why this is, or if there’s a clinical name or mechanism behind it, or if it’s abnormal and my industry just attracts devastatingly uncreative and stupid people. So in absence of any other information I’m just blaming lead paint and Boomerism.
You are describing the “Concrete Operational” stage of intellectual development. At this stage people can think logically but only about concrete objects. Hypotheticals come later at the Formal Operational stage.
In normal healthy development, people grow beyond concrete operational around age 12. Many people do not, however.
https://www.verywellmind.com/concrete-operational-stage-of-cognitive-development-2795458
Are you using “picture this” literally or figuratively?
Because aphantasia is actually a lot more common than you would think – I see estimates range something like 1-5% of people.
So if it actually matters they literally picture something in their mind, I recommend strongly having a prop or sketchpad ready. Some people literally need it.
You’ve unironically done the thing this post is about.
Literally carry a scratch pad everywhere just in case you’re talking to a no pictures brain. Have a strong prop so you can talk to your co-worker. Like you need a fucking puppet named haych-tee-tee-pee to talk about why you need to install cat cables. Okay, maybe this was a good shitpost.
You’ve unironically done the thing this post is about.
The top comment in this chain assumes that everyone should be able to “picture this.” I would also say that it assumes that the person explaining the “this” to be pictured is doing so sufficiently. Parent commenter points out that the “hypothetical” as designed has a flaw in its assumptions, and I have explained another.
If the aim is to have an understanding of reality that is more accurate, so that our interactions can be more productive, being aware of these kinds of flaws in assumptions is valuable. If the aim is “being right on the internet,” then denying those flaws is what happens.
Magnificent. We need a sentiment for when something can be said with or without a shit eating grin. Irony doesn’t do it anymore.
Man you must be fun at parties.
The guy said it was part of his job to explains things. You can chose to be bad at your job struggle, and be stressed about it. Or you can make a change to be more inclusive and make things easier for yourself while you’re at it.
But go ahead and be an asshole. Seems to come natural to you.
It honestly sounds like it’s something else. I have aphantasia, but I have no issue with complex concepts. You’re right though that if the important bit is actually seeing it, then I’m at a loss.
From op I think it’s people having issues with understanding a concept.
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Hmm… an inability to imagine situations, hypotheticals, or what things will be like in the future due to today’s decisions, you say?
That would certainly explain an awful lot, including my frequent bouts of intense frustration with some people.
I don’t suppose you happen to be working in the healthcare industry? I have noticed people in that industry have a much harder time imagining how technology could improve their workflows than other industries I’ve worked in. This isn’t based on scientific observation, or anything, so I may be biased and wrong.
I’d ascribe a lot of it to overwork and chronic stress. Most of us experience lives that keep us low functioning
That makes a lot of sense. That coke addict doc that came up with the whole overwork ethic is to blame.
For the record, I’m agreeing with you, and Lemmy does seem like this sometimes:
Me:
The situation is: Slingblade and Oprah at a restaurant.
(As Slingblade) Man, I do love them french-fried potatoes.
Lemmy:
(Downvotes you)
I really hope someone gets the reference lol. 30 Rock did a whole gag that basically did the opposite of every “Yes, and…” guideline.
I just rewatched for the… 7th or 8th time. There are always 30 rock fans around :)
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Yes! I caught that the first time I saw it, but damn if it’s not awesome that Dan Harmon loves it so much too. The writers for 30 Rock were at the top of their class.
I love these posts where the exact type of person being described shows up and comments exactly as the post is complaining about.
Good humor.
Yes, and it depends very much on context. It’s one thing to explore hypotheticals as an exercise; it’s quite another to indulge in hypotheticals to prop up unrealistic ideas. It’s also disingenuous to smuggle in assertions as unassailable by wrapping them in “hypotheticals.”
Yeah, there’s a fine line between “devil’s advocacy” and “concern trolling.”
Anxiety narcissists are increasing in frequency. Blocking them is the way.
Agree unpopular, up voted.
However, if your bit sucks it’s no excuse.
Wanted to see what bad post op made to necessitate this post…
It had to have been bad, because they made a whole ass new account.
I love how Voyager app makes it really easy to spot new accounts by putting a baby emoji next to the account name.
Is that what that means. I’ve been wondering. Thanks new friend.
Yes and there should be an internet etiquette license and you don’t get to go online before you take an exam
Is that an unpopular opinion? Those people are annoying and are essentially spam within a comment chain even if I otherwise agree with them.
Just wait until you have a casual conversation with an p.eng in real life.
Eh, people are all dealing with their own reality, not everyone wants to play. Upvoted.
No I don’t!
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Not really an opinion as much as an observation. Is anyone out there saying that everyone online DOES know how to play along with hypotheticals?
Not really an opinion as much as an observation.
OP wrote:
“Many people online don’t know how to play along well with hypotheticals.”
Is that an empirical fact that can be tested and proved to be true using the Scientific Method? If the answer is no then it is an opinion.
How do so many people not understand the difference between opinions and facts?
Do you really need every sentence to start with:
I think
I believe
I feel
It seems to me that
In my humble opinion
Come on! People nitpick the silliest shit even when they are wrong!
Sorry, had to downvote because I’ve heard and read this opinion a lot. I agree with it, but it is a very common opinion, only exceeded in popularity by the idea that you can say anything on the internet because pf anonymity, which means you should say anything on the internet because there’s no consequences that matter.
Even with agreeing, I will say that playing along with hypotheticals doesn’t mean you can’t explore the parameters before joining in. Helps to make for a less repetitive response if you ask a few “what about insert variable or plot hole?”, and then give an response that’s “yes, and…”
