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There's this school of thought where difficult or counterintuitive concepts aren't adequately explained without a folksy anecdote. Obviously, I prefer hard data

There's this school of thought where difficult or counterintuitive concepts aren't adequately explained without a folksy anecdote. Obviously, I prefer hard data over folksy anecdotes, but I'm starting to think the folksy anecdote is a sideshow to distract from poor data or a lack of data to back up a claim. Ever since I was made aware of Betteridge's law of headlines, and I started noticing it was correct based on my own experiences, I more or less refuse to read anything with a question as the title. I'm sure I'm missing a few good things with this practice, but I'm saving a lot of time missing out on wastes of time. Enough so that I consider it a net benefit. Similarly, from now on, I'm going to be immediately suspicious of all claims that are served up with a side of folksy anecdotes. The whole thing seems like a fallacy by appeal to "common sense".

superhuzza 4y ago
"I started noticing it was correct based on my own experiences...I'm going to be immediately suspicious of all claims that are served up with a side of folksy anecdotes." So Betteridge's Law is true based on your own, shall we say, anecdotal experience?
- Stamp01 4y ago
  If my anecdote came off as folksy, I apologize. At least I didn't need to pepper in any racial slurs.
  - CrazyPyroLinux 4y ago
    "pepper in?" "PEPPER!?" Why not salt? Is it because pepper is traditionally black!? You racist! :)
cudgy 4y ago
“I more or less refuse to read anything with a question as the title.” Same here. Most of the content titled in this way is essentially vapid click-bait or a list of obvious facts with no real research, conclusions, or novel ideas.