The value of objectivity

[Gaze]

What are the pros and cons of objective thinking . . .?

I've noticed a freedom in seeing things ojectively, meaning, for the purposes of this discussion, looking at the quality of an object or surveying the essence of an idea, without biases of personal interest or preference.

For example . . . the concept of beauty, love, or faith are abstract constructs considered real but usually not considered separate from an individual's personal experience of them. On the other hand, we have logical conversations about the nature of love, the aesthetic qualities which make something beautiful, or the principles of faith.

 

[Quinlan]

Objectivity makes agreement easier.

Person 1: That wall is made of concrete, fact!

Person 2: No I think it's just an illusion! *runs head first into the wall* Ok I agree with you... *rubs head*

 

[Siamese cat]

Although I prefer to examine essence and value it separately from preferences or any personal biases, sometimes it useful to look and examine biases and preferences as well because they can tell you a lot about the person, movement or even the idea or essence of things itself.

For example, if you look at some literary pieces, let's say Romeo and Juliet, you can try to separate it from the period of time when it was written and examine it completely separately from the personal life of a writer, political and economical, religious rules and values that might affected the form and idea of that piece, but the truth is that they contribute it a lot, and that you do have to consider them also to have a clearer picture about it.

 

[Inquisitive]

I love looking at things from every angle. I love the concept of being objective. And I love that it can move an individual away from judgments that can be harmful, among other things.

But I also don

 

[Gaze]

Although I prefer to examine essence and value it separately from preferences or any personal biases, sometimes it useful to look and examine biases and preferences as well because they can tell you a lot about the person, movement or even the idea or essence of things itself.

For example, if you look at some literary pieces, let's say Romeo and Juliet, you can try to separate it from the period of time when it was written and examine it completely separately from the personal life of a writer, political and economical, religious rules and values that might affected the form and idea of that piece, but the truth is that they contribute it a lot, and that you do have to consider them also to have a clearer picture about it.

Yeah, that's a great description - this is why i like academia - you have the opportunity to look and analyze things from a variety of perspectives.

Objectivity makes agreement easier.

Person 1: That wall is made of concrete, fact!

Person 2: No I think it's just an illusion! *runs head first into the wall* Ok I agree with you... *rubs head*

lol.

I love looking at things from every angle. I love the concept of being objective. And I love that it can move an individual away from judgments that can be harmful, among other things.

But I also don

 

[SPQR]

I like the idea of being objective. That is, I like the concept that you're looking at things from a universal viewpoint, but I don't know if true objectivity really exists. I mean, I guess my what I'm saying could be deconstructed as a 'No true Scotsman' argument, but I don't believe anyone can really see things without some bias or preconceived ideas. You can start removing some bias, but I don't know if it's possible to be free of all bias, is what I'm stumbling towards.

 

[TinyBubbles]

complete objectivity is probably impossible... and for that reason, it would be wise not to overvalue it. especially when it comes to matters of the heart~

 

[Gaze]

complete objectivity is probably impossible... and for that reason, it would be wise not to overvalue it. especially when it comes to matters of the heart~

Could you explain? Why shouldn't we value objectivity when it comes to matters of the heart?

 

[NeverAmI]

I like when people subjectively think they are objective. I giggle.

 

[TinyBubbles]

Could you explain? Why shouldn't we value objectivity when it comes to matters of the heart?

cause it's impossible to extricate yourself and your prejudices from your analysis of such things... and also (this is mainly way) too much objectivity kind of kills it~ love is too beautiful to be destroyed so recklessly... of course, that's just my personal opinion

 

[NeverAmI]

cause it's impossible to extricate yourself and your prejudices from your analysis of such things... and also (this is mainly way) too much objectivity kind of kills it~ love is too beautiful to be destroyed so recklessly... of course, that's just my personal opinion

Agreed. Subjectivity exists in everyone, doesn't make sense to pretend it doesn't.

You don't have to cater to it exclusively, but attempting to ignore any sense of subjective delight seems just as bad.

 

[Gaze]

cause it's impossible to extricate yourself and your prejudices from your analysis of such things... and also (this is mainly way) too much objectivity kind of kills it~ love is too beautiful to be destroyed so recklessly... of course, that's just my personal opinion

not sure i agree. I don't think it's impossible to separate ourselves and our personal interest from matters of love. I think the question is more, should we do so. How can it affect a relationship if we do?

I don't objectivity by it's nature is negative. I think it's how it's used. I wouldn't mind having a logical, direct conversation about feelings with someone. I just haven't found anyone who is comfortable doing so. As long as they're caring, respectful, and still sensitive to the potential negative effects of approaching personal feelings from a logical/objective point of view, i don't see why it wouldn't be possible to do so.

 

[TinyBubbles]

not sure i agree. I don't think it's impossible to separate ourselves and our personal interest from matters of love. I think the question is more, should we do so. How can it affect a relationship if we do?

I don't objectivity by it's nature is negative. I think it's how it's used. I wouldn't mind having a logical, direct conversation about feelings with someone. I just haven't found anyone who is comfortable doing so. As long as they're caring, respectful, and still sensitive to the potential negative effects of approaching personal feelings from a logical/objective point of view, i don't see why it wouldn't be possible to do so.

oh definitely, it has its place, and i've had such conversations with my boyfriend more than once.. it's good in a way to define exactly how we feel about each other and what we expect, much better than having some deluded expectations of the future and our relationship~ i'm really glad we can talk so openly actually, and i'm probably closer to him because of it. but i think, especially in the beginning of a relationship, it's going to make you more detached, more distant from the person than you otherwise would be. i guess it would depend on the person though, obviously different people have different ideas when it comes to love!

 

[frozen_water]

Objectivity makes agreement easier.

Person 1: That wall is made of concrete, fact!

Person 2: No I think it's just an illusion! *runs head first into the wall* Ok I agree with you... *rubs head*

but isn't this just shared subjectivity?

I'd say objectivity is valuable (among other things) because it stops you from getting angry, and it stops you from being hurt. Objectivity doesn't care more about one person's situation than another's, so usually when your circumstances are bad, or someone does something that put you in a worse-off position, or that someone without any objective sight would just be hurt and angry about, you can go "oh... yeah, ok. I can see what they were thinking, and it makes sense." There does come a point, like April said, where everyone who thinks they're objective realizes that they're not because they're all of a sudden hurt or upset and can't see why... but really, the objective person is going to be hurt or angry at something a whole lot less.

 

[NeverAmI]

Love demands the company of both the heart and the mind.