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David Gorniak

Bar Tender/ Night Porter/ Aspiring Writer/ Part time philosopher,

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Be honest with yourself; Do you ever agree with whatever it is you are quoting or is your admiration for whomever you are quoting a bias?

To be more specific; to suggest that we might not ever have to quote is an impossible task. But is there such a thing as quoting too much and how far do you believe in the person you are quoting? Be honest; do you really agree with what you are quoting or are you somehow being biased becasue it comes from someone you either admire or that you know who's views societs repects.
Is there ever really a sense of detachment when it comes to quoting?

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    Debra Smith 200+

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    Jul 22 2012: I wish I had written or thought up every word I quote. They are usually my own thought said better than I could unless I am illustrating a point.
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    Matthieu Miossec 100+

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    TED TranslatorAssociate
    Jul 20 2012: Another concern is whether one quotes someone simply because they have eminence, lending a false credibility to the argument at hand. A lot of the light-hearted non-scientific pronouncements Einstein made over the years have been heavily quoted in place of well-constructed arguments.

    Quoting is not necessarily bad if the quote contains its own logic. If one needs to know who the author is to determine respectability, that's not a good sign.
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    dean crawford

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    Jul 19 2012: Howdy
    Yea I believe the quote usally because I agree with it and find it to be honest or alongmy way of thinking. I also have never been to good at going with the group or popular oppion. What people think of me has never caused me to lose sleep.
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    Gail . 50+

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    Jul 18 2012: I can only speak for myself, but I'm an odd duck relative to the rest of society.

    I only quote when the quote is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. I trust my ability to express my ideas, and I only use quotes if I want to get someone to actually HEAR what I am saying because they do not respect themselves enough to be able to respect what I have to say.
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      Debra Smith 200+

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      Jul 24 2012: Surley Gail you must acknowledge that others can take identical data and reach a different conclusion. Did you really mean to suggest that anyone with a different opinion than yours has no self respect? Hearing and agreeing are two different things, of course. how can you tell whether or not someone has heard you. Perhaps they need time to consider your point or perhaps they trust their own conclusion above yours.
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    Stewart Gault 30+

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    Jul 18 2012: I think it should be rephrased as , do you ever disagree with someone you admire. In which the answer is yes.

  • Barry Palmer 50+

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    Jul 18 2012: In many cases, it works in the opposite direction.

    I admire a quote, and because of the quote I then admire the source.

    For me, detachment seems natural. I was taught from a very young age to think for myself and be very dubious of people that society respects. We are all human and we all have our faults and limitations.

    • David Gorniak

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      Jul 18 2012: I hope that would be the case for the majority of people but I'm very dubious of that. But maybe i should give people the benefit of the doubt. Still it is a question that people should ask themselves more often, not just specifically to my example but to life in general; to believe in something because you feel it is right and not simply because it comes from someone you simply admire.
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    Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

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    Jul 18 2012: David, I believe you may be asking the impossible.
    It's like saying that people should stop saying that a beautiful girl is beautiful because so many others have said it before.

    • David Gorniak

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      Jul 18 2012: Yeah i might have to re-phrase the question or admit that the question can't be re-phrased.

    • David Gorniak

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      Jul 18 2012: I hope the question makes more sense now or least is a rational one. Let me know if it isn't
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    Fritzie Reisner 100+

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    Jul 18 2012: I can think of several reasons people cite others. One is that a question may be much more in the area of that other person's expertise or knowledge than in the area of expertise of the respondent. The quotation then becomes a reference to a more informed source.
    A second reason is that the quotation may have a particularly effective way of getting across a point.
    When people offer a quote it is typically to offer better, more reliable, or more authoritative answer than the person can do himself.

    • David Gorniak

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      Jul 18 2012: Hi Fritzie,
      I totally agree but with reference to your second point i just find that a lot of people are simply just quoting others and not using it as an "effective way of getting across a point". Like, sometimes i doubt whether they actually believe the quote the quote or have really thought about it, that is, maybe they just quote it because it comes from someone they admire or who's thought society respects. Am I being a bit too suspicious? I think i migth be.
      I understand that to quote is useful but sometimes I just feel that it's like reading a book that's full of quotations and no orgininal substance.
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        Fritzie Reisner 100+

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        Jul 18 2012: I doubt there is a lot of quoting going on when people do not believe the quote asserts something true, unless the quotation is specifically to demonstrate the author's misguided ideas or the fact that informed people might disagree on a particular subject.
        I think one might make a distinction here between matters of opinion and matters of fact. There are questions about taste, preference, or personal experience where quoting others is typically out of place. There are other cases in which there is actual information or research on a point. In that case the respondent can share the information he has learned and its source (if he has not done the research himself). This response would often be more valid than a minimally informed opinion would be.
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    Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

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    Jul 18 2012: There is no thought that is new or exclusive to a human being; the presentation of such thought may differ.
    Humanity has shared feelings, experiences, instincts, and exposure to the elements of nature.

    There are certain principles that at work in nature and in humanity; and no human experience or thought can be exclusive to an individual.

    • David Gorniak

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      Jul 18 2012: Yeah i would say that an orginal idea is nigh on impossible, but don't you think that people should at least try and not quote others so much? Or am i asking the impossible?
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