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I remember being taught (or reading somewhere) that using expressions like "I believe" or "I feel", rather than "I think", can be more persuasive, because they'
by Xophmeister 5y ago
I remember being taught (or reading somewhere) that using expressions like "I believe" or "I feel", rather than "I think", can be more persuasive, because they're more open-ended and less assertive (which can put people off). Whereas something dispassionate like "we conclude" or "the evidence shows" would be more appropriate for academic discourse.
- thelittleone 5y agoI feel this is true. Often conversations evolve from describing a first person experience "I went to the shops" to "you know, when you get there and XYZ.. and how you have to..." I feel a lot less receptive when this shift happens. Another example "you should try fasting" instead of "fasting felt helpful for me".
- dqpb 5y agoI find “believe” and “feel” to be more natural in relation to a fact which is still under investigation. As more affirmative samples come in, I feel and believe more strongly in its truth. “Conclude” implies conclusion, where no further evidence is needed, and where no evidence to the contrary is expected. The history of science suggests the vast majority of results are not conclusive. So maybe this language is not entirely a measure of rational vs emotional, but also a measure of confidence. Nevertheless, I think the conclusion of this article probably is correct.