RonM;575709 Wrote: > Don't worry, Mr. Nonreality, some people just Will Not Get the problem > with selective attention. And it's not just audiophiles. > > It's only relatively recently that there has been any kind of push > towards publication of "negative results" in a number of sciences -- > historically, you defined a problem, devised a study to address the > hypotheses, and then reported the results when you GOT FAVORABLE > RESULTS. The ones that didn't produce favorable results never saw the > light of day. > > It's similar here -- send out cables to be tested, but then make it > clear that if you don't like the results you won't publish them. > Someone is bound to be sufficiently deluded to give a favorable review > (see all the posts above), and THAT'S the one that will see life in the > promotion. > > Leon Festinger's concept of cognitive dissonance is also salient here. > When we have commited to something (bought a car, acquired a religious > belief, bought a ton of expensive audio gear and become a > true-believing audiophile) we tend to pay attention to things that > reinforce or support our action or belief. We experience what > Festinger called cognitive dissonance when we encounter information > that tends to cast our choices in a less than positive light -- we'll > read articles praising our swell new car or describing the tenets of > our new religion (whether or not it's the Catholic Church or the Church > of Sound), but will avoid those that lead us in a different direction. > > Which is not to say that the "positive" articles in question are wrong, > just that counter messages are avoided -- so the belief in what we > already believe in is continually strengthened, without reference to > more critical kind of information. > > Scientists have to work diligently to avoid this; we all should. > > R.
Very nice post my friend. I read it to my son and we both have fallen prey to the same principle. It's just human nature to once you commit to something it's nice to have fellow friends. And really there is nothing wrong with it unless you are selling something. -- Nonreality -IF THE RULE YOU FOLLOWED BROUGHT YOU TO THIS, OF WHAT USE IS THE RULE.- HTTP://www.last.fm/user/nonreality ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nonreality's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=15723 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=81616 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
