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Two wrongs don't make a right, or do they?

two wrongs don't make a right In today's society, we look to each other for advice, for counseling, expert knowledge on a specific subject, etc, etc. In many cases, we just go to the internet and Google a specific subject and poof, there are many links that appear from different people explaining or expressing different ideas or detailed specifics. But how do we know what is actually right? How do we know what is fact and what is opinion?

My point to this is that I have been on several mortgage related sites in the last year and have found some information that is misleading or incorrect. Luckily I am in the mortgage industry. But how would a consumer know?

Kelly Sibilsky wrote this blog : Opinions are like belly buttons A very cute analogy, that talks about opposing view points and such.

My problem with the internet and many comments in blog posts is that when someone tells you that you are wrong, because they found someone else to agree with them, that should make their opinion or statement correct, making it right.

So it goes back to the fact, should two rights make a wrong?? As many, I love opinions and I especially love a good debate. I love when comments are thought provoking. But when you write a blog that is based on true facts, and someone or more than one come into that blog to attack your blog?? And then call you a liar and make a comment that you are not helping your clients? And then that person making comments comes back and says, "I have been validated." Okay, so they found someone to agree with them. But that they still can't answer my questions and or prove it with facts. Again, does two wrongs make a right? Who do you agree with then? My advice, read all of the comments then. What's sad is that it happened to me in this blog, FHA loans vs Conventional Loans, a real comparison with 5% down.

As you can see, people will actually verbally abused you and attacked you. In my case, I kept asking one simple question.... Do you have a large pricing hit to your conventional rates when you have credit scores under 659 and when you are putting 5% down. Not once did they reply to this question. But the funny, yet sad part of it, is that they still attacked me.

What should you do with those comments? Many would say delete the comments. In my case, I have no problem with these comments, once the reader reads every comment made. If you truly get to understand what took place, what was asked, and who never replied???? That should give you a big indication to what took place and probably allow you to assume that the author of that blog was actually correct. If I am going to debate someone that wrote something and I didn't agree with it, or that I thought their figures were incorrect, I will just debate back with facts.

The problem with this is that too many people confuse opinion with fact. I myself? I love stats and figures, because this will usually win most debates, as long as the correct figures or stats are being used.

For another piece on comments and possibly something that could open your eyes some, please read : How do you treat your comments? And my adice when it comes to reading other blogs and or trying to gather information.

Research that topic. Gather your facts from reliable sources.
If reading a particular person, maybe you should follow them for more than a few months. Maybe 6 months.

FYI : Just because it sounds good doesn't mean that it is correct.

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For important mortgage insight to watch for, please read : Consumers need to be aware of these Red Flags

Posted by Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com -- FHA Loans -- FHA mortgages - USDA loans on 12/16/2008 06:55 PM

Comments (21)

Shopping for Mortgages in the Mortgage / Finance Channel

two wrongs do not make a right, opinions, remarks, comments, right or wrong, jeff is not god nor always right

Originally posted at: FHA Mortgage Expert - Tri-State Area - New Jersey/PA/Delaware: Two wrongs don't make a right, or do they?

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21 Comments on Two wrongs don't make a right, or do they?

DEC

Jeff, the other thing in real world conversation is the loudest person isn't right either. People should learn how to disagree without being disagreeable, but throw a little emotion in there, and like you said you are attacked. Oh well. Enough people read your stuff, some are going to disagree.

Jeff~ And I thought you were always right :) I think that there is a right way to debate- like you said with facts and figures. There is no reason in the world for anyone to flame someone or be mean about it, no matter who is right or wrong. It is called common courtesy and being Professional.....

When someone disagrees with me I just assume that they don't have all the information that I do. So then it's just a matter of showing them the facts that they are missing. If they still don't see it my way, then they are hopeless and can't be helped or don't want to be helped. Then just wish them a good day.

Hi Jeff, I completely agree, if you don't agree that's fine but tell me with facts why you think you are correct. Consumers are out there looking for the right info and need facts to back the info up, not just something that sounds good. Some folks are just so adamant that they are correct they won't even entertain the idea of someone having more info than them. These are the folks that need to close their mouths and listen. KM

Hi Jeff, I don't mind a different perspective, in fact I enjoy it. I do NOT like getting attacked. Thankfully it's been a while but unless the comment was really out of line I left it and answred respectfully. People who leave those comments do damage to themselves---and they just don't "get it."

Jeff,

I came here to talk about real estate and mortgages, but now I'm contemplating Kelly's navel. At least half the navels in the world hold no interest to me. Then I though that allot of opinions don't interest me ether. My mind wandered more and I thought "Kelly," Kelly's navel? O'my! At least half the Kellys don't interest me! To sum it all up that only leaves a few of any real interest, so Kelly's right "opinions are just like belly buttons!" Only a few selected ones matter to me.

In my considered opinion blogs about female antimony need illustrations! I don't care what you do with illrelvent comments.

Bill

GARY.... . boy, did you hit the nail on the head with that one... the loudest or one that points fingers at that person, crying out their name, trying to get attention and to complain. This just happened to me the other day also. The sad thing, I never mentioned the other person's name, but they did to me. Yet they cry to others about it. And you are correct, usually the more that you are read, the more that will try and disagree. And in some cases, they try to bring you down. Thanks for your input.

VICKIE.... . I thought so also... LOL But you know what, yes, I can seem stubborn and sometimes my tone sounds like I know it all... but I will be the first one to state the opposite. And when I am dead set on something... and others chime in and agree, what does that usually say? And I am not talking about just one or two other people.. I am talking about 90% of them usually seem to agree. And I am not here to inflate my ego. I just truly believe in sincere and genuine education... spitting out facts and not just opinion. I will admit, it is sometimes hard to bite my tongue in the political sense. You make a great point... but I won't lunge out someone and nit pick them with other things that don't relate to that blog post or comment. thanks for your feedback.

TIM M. .... . sure, it's easy to assume that. But when you lay it out 110% as I did in my FHA blog, they either just don't know how to read, or they just like to argue even if they are wrong. That FHA post was pathetic in regards to some of the attacking comments. But I am sure that you are the better man when it comes to backing away from such attacks. Me? If my point is valid and real, I like to drill the facts. Facts don't lie unless they are used incorrectly. thanks

KRISTIN M aka KM.... . that is my biggest concern and issue... the consumer is looking for the right information and not just a half arse opinion, which might be way out in left field. I have always been a facts, stats, and figures guy. That's what helped me from day one when I got into this business. thanks for your feedback

CAROLE... . as I stated, I love a different perspective... I even more so love a good debate. It allows me not only to defend what I wrote, but if it's a comparison, to show the facts. And these types of e-mails seem to get attacked more than anything. And we aren't talking about rocket scientist type of figures... which makes it even scarier.

WILLIAM..... . thanks for that hilarious comment and for the illustrations per se... lol I really needed a sense of humor today, so thank you very much sir.... and yes, I love illustrations as you mentioned also.. ;o)

I remember my dad telling a neighbor that he (my dad) was only wrong once in his life when he thought he'd made a mistake but really hadn't. It's never been totally clear to me that he was kidding.

Facts are facts except when the aren't. Who is the ultimate authority on any subject? In a recent class the instructor asked us, if a buyer wanted to know about a neighborhood to whom would you refer them to? Half the class said the police dept, but that would only give you crime stats. The other half of the class said the newspaper, but they are often wrong as seem in the corrections section. Who is the ultimate authority?

Jeff,

All comments are opinions and arguable, but the inclination to attack the COMMENTER should be resisted!!! It never benefits anyone to accuse someone of lying!!! Attack the comment, yes, but leave the commenter alone!!! JMHO, Thanks, Fran

DEC

Jeff - life is short and sometimes wrong is right and right is wrong - we all gotta do what we gotta do - I loved Patricia's comment - my grand dad used to say the same thing

Jeff. I was doing the "I'll just read one more post" thing and came across this. Of course I had to see what all the hoopla was about. I applaud you for leaving the comments as written while making it clear to consumer-readers the details of your post. Disagreement is one thing. Disrespect and name calling on someone elses's blog...bad juju. Keep pumping us full of FHA info!

PATRICIA.... . very interesting... sounds like your dad is a respected man in regards to that comment... but as you stated, you are still trying to figure that one out. I guess that statement could go in several different directions.

DENA...... . well, your second sentence is so on.... and I know people look to me for answers. I don't know them all, but I have made sure that when I do post, that it's just about right on... and when mentioning my opinion, I typically will state that in the blog also. I hate confusion or uncertainty.

In regards to your class and half of them saying the media? Ouch.. and rut row.. you should send this to them...Hey all you MEDIA OUTLETS, listen up, I am pissed !!!!!!

In any case, who is the ultimate authority online? I wish I could answer that one. My whole point, people should just beware of what they read and to possibly do some research before they jump in with them...

FRAN.... . hye, when they actually direct it to you... and especially when they don't answer your question(s), yet keep attacking you on anything, that truly shows how they aren't professional at all. It's very sad... yes, disagreeing is one thing, but back lashing with name and hurtful statements? Where does it end? Sad...

THESA.... . sure, life is to short... but also standing up for the facts is another thing. Hence one reason to why I leave comments in my blog, not matter what. I did have one person leave a comment that I was leaving them nasty e-mails and threats, so I did delete that one. That is just a pure, nasty comment.. no need for crap like that. It's obvious in what that person is trying to do...

KELLY.... . lol.. well, glad that you stopped by stranger... it's been a long time. and thanks, in regards to leaving the comments. For me, it goes back to credibility... if I have the facts, and someone is arguing them, I want them to prove me wrong. But numbers just don't lie, unless I falsify those numbers. But not once has someone come back and have shown me their numbers. They just blurt out nasty comments... sad. thanks for the polite comments.

Jeff - I used to be a management consultant before I came over to the dark side and started selling loans. On one project, I did a considerable amount of research for the client regarding critical thinking -- in other words, thinking correctly, in a rational way, with the intent of arriving at the best possible solution to a problem, given the information that is available.

Everyone loves to think they are rational, and most of us love to think we are highly critical thinkers. Unfortunately, we are not. The thing that struck me the most while researching this subject was an indicator used to identify one of the lowest levels of critical thinking - basically the level of thinking exhibited by someone with the brainpower of a high school sophomore. It is this: "Assumes all opinions are of equal validity."

The plain and simple truth is that all opinions are NOT of equal validity. Having an opinion is akin to fogging a mirror. It illustrates that the person with the opinion is alive, and nothing more.

Thanks for the link love, Jeff! I've been verbally abused and attacked on my blog before by some radio guy who thinks he knows everything. He was truly not interested in a debate, but instead interested in attacking the entire real estate profession. His attack wasn't even on point with the article I had written. In that case, I decided to disable the comments, because while I'm fine with differing opinions and a friendly debate...nobody has the right to be rude or abusive...at least not on my blog!

MAR

Jeff - Right you are. EVERYONE has an opinion, but not all opinions are facts. If I am entering into a debate with someone, I can only use my personal experience and any facts that I can cull from my own research.

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