Tuesday, January 3, 2017

People are weird

I know this is a post from Captain Obvious, shown here wearing her obvious hat ...


... but people are weird.

I get some of the seriously weirdest comments. For example, take this one that I have heard more than once,

"You think just because you won a world judo championships, that means you know about judo."

Why, yes, in fact, I do. Now, if those people said that I thought I knew more about judo than anyone else in the world, maybe making that statement would have made some sort of sense, although they would have been wrong (I can name several people who I think know more than me - Ron Angus, Jim Pedro, Sr. and Hayward Nishioka jump to mind in a second.)

I have no idea where those people are coming from, in general. A couple of specific people have said to me,

"You may know how to throw and arm bar people but you have no idea of Jigoro Kano's The WAY of judo as Jigoro Kano defined it."

(For the uninitiated, Jigoro Kano founded judo in 1882.)

These people always remind me of the time I was at a judo seminar and some guy went on and on about how all of us there sucked because KANO didn't want judo to be like this and KANO wouldn't allow these grips and KANO ...

... when the judo coach for the Puerto Rican team leaned over to me and said,

"That guy keeps bringing up Kano. Do you think he knows he's dead?"

Then there are the people who say to me,

"You think you're smart just because you have a Ph.D. Having a Ph.D. doesn't make you smart."

Well, having a Ph.D. sure as hell doesn't make you dumb. I got my Ph.D. from the University of California, not Joe's Clown College, and I worked my way through school from my freshman year of college, so, yeah, I think it does make me smart.

The even weirder people say,

"You think just because you have a Ph.D., you are smarter than me."

I don't even KNOW you , random Bob on the internet, but based on the sole fact I have about you that you have nothing better to do than post on my blog which I just took a break from PHP scripting to post, well, now I think I'm smarter than you, sure.

The weirdest people have to be the ones who come to my blog and then post how much they don't like it. I might understand this once - okay, you came, you did not find it sufficiently enlightening. Fine. You can go read my other blog where I write about stuff like the parallel analysis criterion for determining the number of factors in a factor analysis. (Yes, I have a day job.)

What I don't get is the people who come here repeatedly and post comments about how dumb my blog is. So, don't read it. It's not homework.  

Do they think that because they post something I will say to myself,

"Gee, for the last nine years, when I felt like taking a break from writing software I have just gotten on blogspot and posted whatever random stuff I felt about rambling on about today but now random Bob from Moose's Elbow, Iowa doesn't like it so I guess I will quit blogging."

By the way, Iowa, moose don't have elbows.

16 comments:

LanceW said...

Nice post Dr.

TiffGGGG said...

Sounds like a few fellas have had a nerve touched. I loved this. Really funny stuff. It's always interesting what makes some people feel inferior, and in this case it was a simple blog where you don't try whatsoever to intimidate or spout of intellectualisms.

Anonymous said...

Industrial psychology, meh...any idiot can get a degree in law, medicine or psychology.
You don't know what "smart" means until you have "consumed" particle physics. Notice I did not say "mastered". Those people are non-existent.
Martin Luther King had a phd and he was an idiot and a chronic adulterer.
Shed your incessant subjectivity and adapt an argumentative technique known as existential objectivity anf Your peace of mind will be better served.

lou said...

I think you are great and have brought me much insight. Thank you.

Unknown said...

Most people suck. Those people can take a long walk off a short pier. I happen to to like your blogs and your podcast. I also keep up with your gaming development. I took a geneneral interest in you when I started following Ronda. I thought to myself. How is Ronda so driven? What's her her family like? There has to be history behind this athlete. So, I looked into your history Dr. Anna DeMars. I've been following you ever since. I thought you and your family are pretty cool peeps. So for the dead beats saying negative sh* on your blog, Get A Life!

Unknown said...

The internet and all it's nuances come out of some pretty interesting aspects of our psychology. It really makes me want to study psychology so I can understand it.

In face to face communications with people who could have an impact on our life(or face) we measure what we say, how we say it, and if we don't it usually results in negative consequences. People lose this inhibition when dealing with strangers they don't expect to encounter again. People will yell out a window and make obscene gestures at other drivers who anger them because they don't expect it to have any consequences and they will never see that stranger again. The internet has even more of a protective shield between you and the people you communicate with, so communications on the internet tend to be like road rage, all day, every day.

Unknown said...

Hi Dr. De Mars,

I wanted you to know how much I love and appreciate your blog. Your insights and perspective on human behavior, your expertise in Judo, and your amazing company are topics I enjoy along with the occasional shared life lesson experience. I am not kissing anyone's ass, I am simply someone who appreciates a wonderful intellect.

Many thanks,

Cheryl Flores

Unknown said...

Hi Dr. De Mars,

I wanted you to know how I much I love and appreciate your blog. Your insight and perspective on human behavior, your expertise in Judo, and your amazing company are topics I enjoy along with the occasional shared life lesson experience. I am a fan of both your wit and your ability to simply speak the truth no matter what.

Many thanks,

Cheryl Flores

coyotelibrarian said...

"The weirdest people have to be the ones who come to my blog and then post how much they don't like it." You think that just because you have a Ph.D, you know about weird people?

Well, first of all your blog *is* homework for some of us - failure to read it and be able to quote verbatim and at length means that WE FAIL, AND HAVE TO RETURN TO OUR HOME PLANET!!!

Secondly, MOOSE DO HAVE ELBOWS!! The most famous moose in the world is Bullwinkle J. Moose. Here is a picture of him leaning his ELBOW on a tub of water: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/2a/d3/74/2ad3747ef70fcff04d45a869378d2bc4.jpg

So there!!

PS I like your blog.

PPS The hat is nice too, it makes you look younger.

GM Jackson said...

Yes, I'm a random dude on the web who likes your blog. I found this post entertaining--keep them coming. Being a numbers person myself I think I will check out your other blog you mentioned. Cheers!

Unknown said...

I wonder about that all the time who takes the time to post mean stuff on people's accounts and why!?!?! And I never realized you were so smart I thought my mom was crazy when she would tell me you were some sort of computer genius lmao and the Judo part I know you got that down! I been on the receiving end of all kinds of your Judo knowledge! And I like your blog so you're right those people are just weird!!

Unknown said...

Your blog's make me smile.. it's funny you call randoms Bob.. you don't ask for respect you demand it.. the way you speak an carry yourself speaks for itself.. your a excellent example of a strong woman.. I don't know you personally but it's what I've gathered over the years from you speaking..

Anonymous said...

By the way I actually enjoy your blog, I wish you would post more, I even enjoy watching your YouTube videos!
Question:In a video you've mentioned how important it was for all your kids to go to private school, why is that. My kid is growing up and I am wondering if the difference between a public school versus a private school is major? And actually curious to know why you choose the private route?

dsimon3387 said...

Actually... I used to have a life with friends and we would discuss philosophy, and I would teach my martial arts... then one day a random egger told me I don't know nuthin. So naturally I moved into mom's basement and the rest is history!

Really!! why do Judo when one can talk about it? and how much they know about it? Why is it the people that talk such a grand game often enough, turn out to be the people that really lack the skill to do the damn thing? Shades of George Bernard Shaw's famous statement (which I hate as a teacher) "those who cannot do, teach."

Ardebaren said...

And there's me thinking I post some really strange comments, at least I have the excuse of battling alcohol addiction. These people just seem incredibly ignorant or genuinely stupid.

Unknown said...

Ha-ha. I love your blog. I love how blatantly honest and to the point you respond without hesitation! Keep doing what your doing! The critics will always be there. You have succeeded even if you educated only one knucklehead that bothered to read your blog with an open mind.