Yes, and what I'm saying is that the issue comes down to the sensible (or otherwise) interpretation of those studies, and I think that the if the ones doing the interpretation are the immortality people , that might possibly speak to their credibility.
All this stuff about holiness(?), fifties morality(!?), and thinking everyone is a simpleton, is your own invention. So too is the claim that I'm saying all forum advice is bad advice, and all professional advice is never mistaken - I'm suggesting that the probability of getting good advice from a professional is much higher than a random forum poster, and particularly if the forum in question is of the "siempre viva!" variety.
Well, let me say you worded it differently in #108. Apodictic, if that is the correct English word. Anyway, read that posting again and I’m sure you know what I mean.
And, if one has had bad expert advice in the past, the conclusion should probably not be that one should seek non-expert advice in the future.
Look at it this way. There are a couple of subjects I know I understand well. Then there are many subjects, like financial affairs, dentistry, and country dancing, that I know almost nothing about, and I would most definitely defer to an expert on those matters. Then there are things that I know a bit about, and that interest me, but in which i am definitely no expert, like law. If there was a discussion about some legal matters in the gaming industry, I might chuck in my two cents, and make my case, but I'd know I might have to defer to someone who really knows the subject. But, if there were a member here discussing legal issues around actual IRL proceedings, I'd know that anything I said would have to be very carefully qualified by my lack of expertise. And, if I or anyone else was holding forth with half-baked information, I'd say it would be a good thing if someone who might actually know the subject chipped in and said, "Please, guys, take this stuff with a large pinch of salt."
It's really about honestly assessing the level of one's own understanding in relation to the matter at hand.
But you don’t have to spell that out every time someone is referring to a study or a source. The internet is not a recent phenomenon, we all know there is a lot of rubbish out there.
Still, when ignorant most of us start by looking for more info on the internet. Which can be quite helpful in defining the problem. Even doctors acknowledge that.
Moreover, telling fools they should take specific info with a pinch of salt will not stop them.
I think it is more helpful to point to good sites than to just say that people should not read studies if they don’t have the “required specialist knowledge to interpret them” and to immediately refer them to a specialist.
A good specialist won’t mind me confronting him/her with the data found and will explain to me why it is or is not relevant. I have had several medical specialists who said they appreciated talking to an ‘informed patient’, for the conversation takes less time.
Sure, talking to people who have picked up total bs might be demanding, but these people are the minority, and with some effort make grateful patients who are convinced they will be properly taken care of. Again, people know there is a lot of bs on the net.
For some of us, or for some specific issues, consulting an expert might be too expensive, in that case the internet can be very helpful and surely a better help than a neighbour knowing the same or less than you.
Another thing I’d like to stress is that untill recently specifics about lifestyle and diet got hardly any attention from the medical sector. It still is rather unpopular. Cardiovascular diseases excluded.
So people turn to the internet, for most of us just want to stay healthy for as long as is possible. That is why people start buying berries when it is on the news that is good for you.
The right berries, the right tea, the right mental approach… even if it is complete nonsense to me, fine if it works for them. We are not talking about physical ailments, diseases or dangerous situations that demand immediate attention here.
