2008 Woodie Awards
Take the gloves off, embrace our differences
Issue date: 9/14/07 Section: Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
It seems to be human nature to believe yourself, but are we really a reliable source? Just because we believe something is right doesn't necessarily mean it is.
In the world of technology most computer users have placed themselves into two groups, PC owners and Mac owners. There are commercials on television that express the coolness of the Mac and the stiff, nerdiness of the PC.
Most Mac owners will go on and on about why their computers are superior to PCs, like the commercials suggest. They have pride in their computer and aren't afraid of expressing their opinion.
PC users are no different, but unfortunately their commercials are less interesting. They will defend their machines just as vigorously as their Mac counterparts. Their reasons for preferring it might be different, but they'll defend it just as enthusiastically.
Is one better than the other? No.
Guaranteed there are people reading this right now who already have a list in their head as to why their computer brand is superior. There are numerous pros and cons for both, but that is not the point.
It's not the quality of the machine that makes people prefer it, it's the experience they've had with it. One person might prefer PCs because the first Mac they ever received was defective. All Macs aren't bad just because one of them didn't work, but this person's bad experience may have cemented an opinion in their mind. The same could be said about a defective PC.
Just because one person flips a coin and it lands on heads doesn't mean that everyone else who flips the coin will get the same results.
Everyone is different. Every person has different experiences, and these experiences make up their opinions. Problems arise when people get confused and consider their opinions as universal truth. A difference of opinion between two people creates conflict.
To look at it on a grander scale, this sort of mentality is also the reason many countries go to war. Wars are just gigantic differences of opinions with disastrous results.
One country or group of people may have a religious or political belief that works for them and they believe it is right. When they meet a group of people with a completely different opinion, a fight often breaks out. It's just like the Mac vs. PC debate but with guns and a bit more death.
The PC vs. Mac debate will most likely continue with no clear winner in sight. The goal of these debates should not be to prove who is correct, but to understand why the other group believes what they do. No one is right 100 percent of the time. The coin won't always land on heads.
People will always have their opinions, but they don't have to be set in stone. To truly understand why a person believes something, they should also be aware of what experience and opinions form the basis of their belief.
In the world of technology most computer users have placed themselves into two groups, PC owners and Mac owners. There are commercials on television that express the coolness of the Mac and the stiff, nerdiness of the PC.
Most Mac owners will go on and on about why their computers are superior to PCs, like the commercials suggest. They have pride in their computer and aren't afraid of expressing their opinion.
PC users are no different, but unfortunately their commercials are less interesting. They will defend their machines just as vigorously as their Mac counterparts. Their reasons for preferring it might be different, but they'll defend it just as enthusiastically.
Is one better than the other? No.
Guaranteed there are people reading this right now who already have a list in their head as to why their computer brand is superior. There are numerous pros and cons for both, but that is not the point.
It's not the quality of the machine that makes people prefer it, it's the experience they've had with it. One person might prefer PCs because the first Mac they ever received was defective. All Macs aren't bad just because one of them didn't work, but this person's bad experience may have cemented an opinion in their mind. The same could be said about a defective PC.
Just because one person flips a coin and it lands on heads doesn't mean that everyone else who flips the coin will get the same results.
Everyone is different. Every person has different experiences, and these experiences make up their opinions. Problems arise when people get confused and consider their opinions as universal truth. A difference of opinion between two people creates conflict.
To look at it on a grander scale, this sort of mentality is also the reason many countries go to war. Wars are just gigantic differences of opinions with disastrous results.
One country or group of people may have a religious or political belief that works for them and they believe it is right. When they meet a group of people with a completely different opinion, a fight often breaks out. It's just like the Mac vs. PC debate but with guns and a bit more death.
The PC vs. Mac debate will most likely continue with no clear winner in sight. The goal of these debates should not be to prove who is correct, but to understand why the other group believes what they do. No one is right 100 percent of the time. The coin won't always land on heads.
People will always have their opinions, but they don't have to be set in stone. To truly understand why a person believes something, they should also be aware of what experience and opinions form the basis of their belief.
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