Elaborating On My "No Opinion" Stance

[gimmetheloot]

Lucky, ill give YOU a simple exmaple.

I c/r river with a 6 high flush, because I am confident in my hands strength (my stance). Nit 3b shoves over me...(I may now fold because I am not so confident in my hand) (my stance)

Or how about...you are out with your wife...you tell her you love her, and for some reason asks if she loves you back...she says to you 'what do you think'...now, being confident in that she loves you too (you ARE married...right?) you say yes. She looks at you and says, 'well i dont.' stands up, and walks out. Will you now change your mind?

I dont know if these are good examples, but they are the best i oculd come up with quickly./\

[luckyme]

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Your rebuttal has merit only in cases where there is no doubt, or alternatively, where there is no reason to give the other guy any credence whatsoever.



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I was actually responding to this comment -
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I was saying that my opinion isn't stong enough to be valid unless I would still think I am right even in the face of someone else being willing to risk those things taking the other side.


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There were no disclaimers, just "someone else" . If you're betting with a neuroscientist on brainstructure, I'd go by his eagerness too.

Normally, if you're ready to bet, it's not the other guys credence that should sway you, and rarely his willingness to bet, what matters is whether the arguments/evidence he's presenting is enough to make your position unbettable. But if you've formed a bettable position, hopefully you took the contrary options into account in forming yours, can you count them twice?

I can only make sense of 'his confidence unnerves me' in cases where I'm out of my league in knowledge/ability and I don't see why I'd be betting in the 1st place but perhaps there are cases. That almost sounds more like a bluff than a value bet.

luckyme

[Gobgogbog]

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Of course I have an off the cuff opinion about many things. But I don't think it counts. And it is my gambling background that makes me feel this way. Because in my neck of the woods the only opinions that count are those that you are willing to bet on. Bet on, that is AFTER you know that someone is willing to bet the other way.

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Well since you believe you differ from 95% of the population in that you don't think your off the cuff opinions count, then surely you could find a lot of people who you have an advantage over in off the cuff opinions who think their opinions count, and who would bet against you.

Of course, taking stances on a forum is not betting. But I think there are people who would be interested in your off the cuff opinions, and I see no harm to your reputation if you're clear that you don't think it counts.

[Darryl_P]

I find chicks get more turned on by guys with strong opinions that they are capable and willing to defend/represent than those who like to straddle the fence for fear of personal conflict.

Of course if you've got money then it won't make much difference.

[Shandrax]

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On another thread I claimed that I refuse to have an opinion on subjects I haven't studied or thought about deeply. Which distinguishes me from 95% of the population. Some might also contend that this attitude is sort of cowardly and/or needlessly "Spockish". In fact it seems almost inhuman not to have some sort of opinion.

And they are right. Of course I have an off the cuff opinion about many things. But I don't think it counts. And it is my gambling background that makes me feel this way. Because in my neck of the woods the only opinions that count are those that you are willing to bet on. Bet on, that is AFTER you know that someone is willing to bet the other way. If not money, then reputation. Just wanted to clear that up.

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You don't seem to believe in intuition.

[TC Franks]

No jobs for you in talk radio then!

I feel strongly both ways.

[jjacky]

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I find chicks get more turned on by guys with strong opinions that they are capable and willing to defend/represent than those who like to straddle the fence for fear of personal conflict.

Of course if you've got money then it won't make much difference.

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in a nutshell: opinions are for poor people who can't attract chicks with money.

[Mickey Brausch]

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I made the mistake of driving to a conference (8 hr drive) with a person with virtually no opinion. Our conversations went like this, "whadya think about online gambling?"
"don't know much about it".
"how about global warming?"
"don't know much about it."
"The housing boom?"
" haven't looked into it."
<font color="white"> . </font>
long drive.



[/ QUOTE ]I don't think DS would clam up. He would hold forth about every concept under the sun, as is his wont, but he would still not consider those opinions of his as important as the opinions on which he'd be willing to bet money.

(Of course, he'd still believe that his uninformed opinions would probably be nearer the mark than the average expert's.)

[Xhad]

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You don't seem to believe in intuition.

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"Intuition" is mostly one of those weasel words used as an excuse not to think hard enough.

[luckyme]

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I don't think DS would clam up. He would hold forth about every concept under the sun, as is his wont, but he would still not consider those opinions of his as important as the opinions on which he'd be willing to bet money.

(Of course, he'd still believe that his uninformed opinions would probably be nearer the mark than the average expert's.)

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Agreed and Agreed.
I've been trying to be subliminal about suggesting that his behavior as you're suggesting and he's elaborated on doesn't add up to "Not having an Opinion".

The way to discover if somebody has no opinion on a topic is the 'gun to the head' test. If they say, "oh, just flip a coin" then they aren't leaning either way. hmmmmm...nope, even then they'd have an opinion on the topic, "all the evidence I've seen makes both sides equally likely".

So, once again, DS was right. You can't be human and not have an opinion on almost any topic, and most of us can't wait to read DS's opinion on them.

luckyme