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When you're writing about subjectives, the "I think" is always implied: why state it explicitly?
by pizza 14y ago
When you're writing about subjectives, the "I think" is always implied: why state it explicitly?
- scott_s 14y agoClarity.
- hobin 14y agoNo, because the 'I think' does not mean what you think it means. You can't take it out of its social context, which is to inform people that you assign a lower certainty to the next thing you are going to say. (Of course, you could say all that, but that would make most conversations very pointless and annoying, as I can say from personal experience.)
- pizza 14y agoYou could say "I think the economy will be the most important issue in the next election", but you could also say "The economy will probably be the most important issue in the next election," which sounds clearer, as well as less refutable.
- gringomorcego 14y agoBecause how are people supposed to know you are making a subjective/qualitative judgement? It's too easy to mislead people, and too many people profit from taking advantage of that. A true argument can stand on its own.
- pizza 14y agoThey know by context. "Metallica is a great band" is obviously a subjective opinion and unprovable. It's the same as "I think Metallica is a great band" but with fewer useless words. This isn't misleading. If I say something potentially provable that I am unsure of but claim is a fact ("Metallica is the best-selling band of all time"), this would be misleading, and I would be taking advantage of my audience.