liftsiron
Owner/Admin
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2003
- Messages
- 18,979
Beware the Master Debater
by John Meadows 04/22/14
Be on the lookout. There's a new expert in our industry I call the "debater guru". This new species is a cousin to the pseudo-scientist. These are people that take perfectly good data and misrepresent it... misinterpret it and treat it as gospel, even in the face of common sense.
Today there's a new breed though. The debater guru will often use really cool terms like "straw man" or "ad hominem" to impress you with his high school debating skills. Other signs: he places no value on anecdotal evidence. Like their cousins the pseudo-scientists these master debaters also lack common sense, and they generally don't have clients to perfect their coaching skills. The scary thing is, most don't even train.
Sometimes I feel like we're losing the ability to solve problems, create, and be creative in the fitness industry. Remember, before something was "proven", it was once just an idea.
Be careful who you take advice from. Seek out folks who combine real world experience, good science, and train like they have a set.
Note: More from John Meadows in his Micro-PA log.
by John Meadows 04/22/14
Be on the lookout. There's a new expert in our industry I call the "debater guru". This new species is a cousin to the pseudo-scientist. These are people that take perfectly good data and misrepresent it... misinterpret it and treat it as gospel, even in the face of common sense.
Today there's a new breed though. The debater guru will often use really cool terms like "straw man" or "ad hominem" to impress you with his high school debating skills. Other signs: he places no value on anecdotal evidence. Like their cousins the pseudo-scientists these master debaters also lack common sense, and they generally don't have clients to perfect their coaching skills. The scary thing is, most don't even train.
Sometimes I feel like we're losing the ability to solve problems, create, and be creative in the fitness industry. Remember, before something was "proven", it was once just an idea.
Be careful who you take advice from. Seek out folks who combine real world experience, good science, and train like they have a set.
Note: More from John Meadows in his Micro-PA log.
