ProMaritime
Senior Member
There is always only a few workable solutions to every situation, problem, issue, etc., both mechanical and personal. And there is always one that is the best. Try to find out what tht is.
When you are on your boat, you are the captain, do it the way you want.
On my boat, I am the captain, I will do things the way I want, live with it.
If we are sitting around talking about a problem or situation, you are basically asking for an opinion. You get an opinion you do not like, ignore it and move on. No need to pour fuel on the fire.
In here, you are stumped with a problem and seek a solution, every answer you get is someones' opinion.
So if I see huge flames shooting out of the windows of someone's boat and in my opinion the boats on fire I should just keep my opinion to myself?
While I mostly agree with what Dan is saying, a lot of it is truly situational. Sometimes, time is not much of a factor. Then, much discussion can be had, all input considered, and a group decision, or "leader led" decision (using the input) can be made. Same for looking for "ways to do it" type of advice from other boaters. Consider all info, filter it using various methods, and use or try out what sounds (or looks) good for your particular situation.When you are on your boat, you are the captain, do it the way you want.
On my boat, I am the captain, I will do things the way I want, live with it.
If we are sitting around talking about a problem or situation, you are basically asking for an opinion. You get an opinion you do not like, ignore it and move on. No need to pour fuel on the fire.
In here, you are stumped with a problem and seek a solution, every answer you get is someones' opinion.
A fire is not an opinion, it is a fact.
So the difference between fact and opinion is the quantity of information? At what point precisely does opinion become fact? My point here is that on this site there is certainly a lot of opinion but there's also plenty of facts and sometimes the difference between them is more based on emotion rather than information.
When the fire starts blistering my back sides, that is fact.
It would seem you and I will just have to agree to disagree. The discussion will never change our minds.
It's true that sometimes the blind lack information.
It's true that sometimes the blind lack information.
I'm not sure that is really the point of the blind men and the elephant.
We all lack information in just about everything we do.
But yes, just like the elephant story....you don't always need all the info to guess "elephant". But getting info from others may be critical to your decision.
So experience helps and lets you guess easier/more correctly...but only if you have enough or the right pieces of info.
....and who does or should decide?
....probably he who holds the checkbook.
I'm not sure getting just enough information to "guess elephant" is actually getting enough information in a more critical context. Personally I've tried to stay away from guessing when engaged in an unforgiving activity. I believe the original issue of this thread was those who insist on their facts or opinions being the only valid ones. My question is simply when does an opinion become a fact, when is that fact irrefutable and who does or should decide? Sorry to sound so rigid but sometimes calm is brought by clarity.
You are playing right into the elephant analogy.
In anything from some electrical questions to determining when opinion becomes fact.....
First things first. Most people on here are pretty smart....maybe all for all I really know.
The trouble is we see things in our minds eye that are rarely satisfied even with a 1000 short posts in a thread. They are tidbits of info and often don't contain all the info why someone is posting them that the person has locked away in their brain.
Good luck with ever getting all the info you need or giving all the info you want to in a forum of "sound bytes"....the same problem that plagues our entire civilization in the electronic world.
Even this post will get blowback despite my effort to explain my point of view.
I don't know if that's "playing into the elephant analogy" as it's more an issue of the propagation of limited information, you would think the blind would pool their observations and do a bit more investigation. I do see and agree with you that it's very difficult to actually form a question or an answer that's meaningful in a simple forum like this.
During talk on the dock I have not found any of the keyboard commandos on forums.
Fish,I don't know if that's "playing into the elephant analogy" as it's more an issue of the propagation of limited information, you would think the blind would pool their observations and do a bit more investigation. I do see and agree with you that it's very difficult to actually form a question or an answer that's meaningful in a simple forum like this.