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> I don't necessarily believe... To be honest, when someone puts it that way, it sounds like they do actually believe it, to some extent at least. No one who

> I don't necessarily believe... To be honest, when someone puts it that way, it sounds like they do actually believe it, to some extent at least. No one who doesn't believe it would phrase things that way.

tjr225 8y ago
> No one who doesn't believe it would phrase things that way. And why do you say that? Do you have any reason to think I'm not being earnest other than your "hunch"? Is that really the quality of discussion you want to have with complete strangers who are otherwise saying nothing offensive whatsoever- to question their sincerity? Seems pretty whack to me.
- jamesrcole 8y ago
  I believe you're being earnest. I'm taking what you're saying as what you mean. When someone says "I don't believe X" it means they don't believe it. When someone says "I don't necessarily believe X" it means they kinda do believe it. Not one person who believes the world is spherical would ever say (or agree that it correctly captures their view) the statement "I don't necessarily believe the world is flat". [EDIT: I thought this example might help make things clearer. version 1: - wife to husband: you're spending a lot of time with that new co-worker. Do you find her attractive? - husband: no, I don't find her attractive. & version 2: - wife to husband: you're spending a lot of time with that new co-worker. Do you find her attractive? - husband: no, I don't necessarily find her attractive. A husband that genuinely did not find the co-worker attractive would never express things in the second way. It's clear in that second way that he does find her attractive to some extent but doesn't want to say it] Sometimes "I don't necessarily believe..." is used when the person feels awkward admitting that they have some belief, or when they haven't consciously realised that they do. It can be when they haven't fully admitted it to themselves.
  - tjr225 8y ago
    Actually I'm with you. I had to google the definition of "necessarily" and it does imply that I could believe it. Maybe I'm culturally programmed to use the word even if I don't understand it's full meaning when I'm using it? Anyway, I would reword the entire post to remove the word necessarily but I'll leave it in case anyone else reads it and might make the same Mistake.
    - jamesrcole 8y ago
      Ok, understood.
  - TheAnvil 8y ago
    The Earth isn't a sphere! (It's a very rough-surfaced, approximate, oblate spheroid)
    - jamesrcole 8y ago
      Of course but that level of detail would have been unnecessary and distracting in that context.
- csallen 8y ago
  I don't think you're completely wrong to be offended, but it's also worthwhile to know that people may interpret your phrasing differently than you intended.

tjr225 8y ago

> No one who doesn't believe it would phrase things that way. And why do you say that? Do you have any reason to think I'm not being earnest other than your "hunch"? Is that really the quality of discussion you want to have with complete strangers who are otherwise saying nothing offensive whatsoever- to question their sincerity? Seems pretty whack to me.

jamesrcole 8y ago
I believe you're being earnest. I'm taking what you're saying as what you mean. When someone says "I don't believe X" it means they don't believe it. When someone says "I don't necessarily believe X" it means they kinda do believe it. Not one person who believes the world is spherical would ever say (or agree that it correctly captures their view) the statement "I don't necessarily believe the world is flat". [EDIT: I thought this example might help make things clearer. version 1: - wife to husband: you're spending a lot of time with that new co-worker. Do you find her attractive? - husband: no, I don't find her attractive. & version 2: - wife to husband: you're spending a lot of time with that new co-worker. Do you find her attractive? - husband: no, I don't necessarily find her attractive. A husband that genuinely did not find the co-worker attractive would never express things in the second way. It's clear in that second way that he does find her attractive to some extent but doesn't want to say it] Sometimes "I don't necessarily believe..." is used when the person feels awkward admitting that they have some belief, or when they haven't consciously realised that they do. It can be when they haven't fully admitted it to themselves.
- tjr225 8y ago
  Actually I'm with you. I had to google the definition of "necessarily" and it does imply that I could believe it. Maybe I'm culturally programmed to use the word even if I don't understand it's full meaning when I'm using it? Anyway, I would reword the entire post to remove the word necessarily but I'll leave it in case anyone else reads it and might make the same Mistake.
  - jamesrcole 8y ago
    Ok, understood.
- TheAnvil 8y ago
  The Earth isn't a sphere! (It's a very rough-surfaced, approximate, oblate spheroid)
  - jamesrcole 8y ago
    Of course but that level of detail would have been unnecessary and distracting in that context.
csallen 8y ago
I don't think you're completely wrong to be offended, but it's also worthwhile to know that people may interpret your phrasing differently than you intended.