Multilple Ways to Say Something.

[Gregory Matthews]

I know a runner who does a lot of running and at some distances from where she lives, to include marathons.  I might ask her why she did not run in the Bolder Boulder 10 K yesterday.  If I were to do so, I could ask:

1)  Why did you not run?  If you had, you  could have finished in the top 300.

2)  Why did you not run?  If you had, you could have finished n the top 6 %..

 

Two ways of saying it.  But, they sure do not sound the same.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[Outta Here]

You could have completed the race faster than 94% of the running populace...

Actually, I can think of several more ways to say it. Is your friend only interested in beating out the competition?

[Bravus]

It's one of the things I find interesting with university rankings. My university says it is in the 'top 300' internationally. But no information is ever provided about the total number of universities. For what it's worth, there are about 7500, so being in the top 300 is pretty good...

[CoAspen]

I remember a hospital that I worked at prided its self  on its yearly ranking. Delving into it a bit more, it turned out that the ranking group did not include all hospitals of its type!

 

[Gregory Matthews]

Aubrey:  Yes, I agree that there are more ways to say the same thing.  I only included two as I wanted to stimulate thinking.

 

Bravus, I am reminded of a very old Cold War joke:

The old Soviet Union in reporting on the results of an automobile race said:  The entry from Russia finished second and the entry from the United States finished next to the last.  NOTE:  What was not said was that the race had two participants, the one from Russia and the one from the U.S.

 

Edited May 27, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[B/W Photodude]

The old Soviet Union in reporting on the results of an automobile race said:  The entry from Russia finished second and the entry from the United States finished next to the last.  NOTE:  What was not said was that the race had two participants, the one f or m Russia and the one from the U.S.

​Fifty per cent of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class!

On an average day, the worst doctor in America gets up and goes to work.

If that wasn't troubling, according the the American Assoc of Critical Care Nurses, more than 8000 doctors in America are fully demented!

[Outta Here]

Gregory: Thanks for explaining the reasoning for including your examples. Initially, I thought you were asking which of the two ways you should approach your friend. Now I understand you were wishing to stimulate thinking on how people often present data with seemingly biased methods. 

 

[LifeHiscost]

Since this was a newsline on the TV, I can't say how accurate it is but it seems to possibly fit the description of what is being discussed in this thread. Quoting, "America is the sickest nation in the world."  Seems hard to believe considering the availability to healthy living conditions in this country but maybe if it said "in comparison" it might be more palatable.

God is Love!  Jesus saves!

[Gregory Matthews]

Actually, I had another thought in mind.  [NOTE:  As my purpose was to stimulate, the fact that some of you have gone in directions that I had not considered indicates that I did accomplish my objective.]

My thinking at the time I posted was to indicate that    one can say something in a way that actually has a negative connotation or one can chose to say it in a way that has a positive connotation.  This can be applied to many of our relationships with others.

Example:  My wife was going out today, while I was staying home and doing yard work stuff.   

 

Just before she left she asked me what I thought of what she was wearing and as to whether I preferred it or what she wore yesterday.  NOTE:  I come from a counseling background in which there is a time to be frank in dealing with people. But, I saws this as a time to be positive.  So, I said:

1) My initial reaction is to prefer what you wore yesterday.

2) But, I find what you have on today to be interesting,  so, why not wear it when you go out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[Guest]

Hmm. I didn't think either of your two ways in the initial post were negative. Ah well. I guess there are multiple ways of reading things too...

(This is Aubrey, commenting as a guest...just too lazy right now to log in completely.)

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

 

2) But, I find what you have on today to be interesting,  so, why not wear it when you go out.

​"interesting" ?   LOL  

[Gregory Matthews]

Aubrey:  Yes, there are both multiple ways of saying something and multiple ways of reading something, as often happens here in CA.

Pam: When I posted that, I fully expected that it would draw some thoughts from the women posting here.