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Dutchess_III's avatar

Do you know anyone who is so uncomfortable saying they don't know the answer to a question that they'll make stuff up? Why do you think they do that?

Asked by Dutchess_III (47069points) October 3rd, 2019

The question started out “When has a supposed “professional” given you the wrong information?” but morphed into “WHY?”

It’s happened to me a few times. The first two that come to mind was once, in the 90s, right after we moved to this small town from Wichita, I was putting linoleum down on a kitchen floor. I went to the hardware store to get some vinyl wall base. The guy showed me what they had. All of it ran straight down to the floor.
I said, “I need some that has a “lip” on, that curves out a little at the bottom. It’s a lot easier to clean.
He said they didn’t make anything like that.
Well, this wasn’t my first time laying linoleum so I knew he was wrong but I didn’t really have any where else to go within 50 miles so I just went with what they had. (It was a place I was renting anyway.)

Another time Rick and I were looking at some laminate flooring. We had some down in the living room and old Dakota slipped all over the place.
I asked the guy if they made any that was roughly textured, more like real wood.
He said “Nope. They don’t, but that’s a good idea.”
I didn’t know any better at the time so I took him at his word…although having textured laminate seemed like a no brainer to me.
It wasn’t 2 months later, at a different store, lo and behold, there was textured laminate flooring. I asked the clerk how long textured laminate had been around, and he said “Years.”

Why would people make up an answer instead of saying they don’t know?

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8 Answers

Inspired_2write's avatar

Probably to make a sale?
But in the end he lost a future customer.

elbanditoroso's avatar

This quotation comes to mind here

Dutchess_III's avatar

I’ve heard that and it’s wonderful @elbanditoroso. That goes through my mind at times and helps me to stay quiet. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD IT IS FOR ME TO STAY QUIET!!

Love_my_doggie's avatar

“I’m not certain,” “I’ll need to do some research,” and just plain, “I don’t know” are legitimate answers to a question. Yet, we live in an age when people seem to think it’s bad to say any of those responses. I often ask a yes-or-no question, only to get a long, rambling monologue from someone trying to compensate for a lack of information.

A couple of hours ago, I casually asked someone, at my health club, if we’re expecting rain today. The right reply would have been, “I haven’t seen the forecast.” Instead, the person said that the sky’s overcast, the air feels humid, maybe it’ll rain, maybe it won’t rain, we could really use some rain, blah blah blah.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Some people just love to hear themselves talk. Unfortunately many of them make 30 minute videos on how to pour chocolate into milk and stir to make chocolate milk.

LuckyGuy's avatar

Because they don’t know what they don’t know. A frog at the bottom of a well thinks the sky is a small circle.
It’s a common condition.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I hate it when people say to me, “You didn’t know XYZ??” incredulously, like “Are you stupid??”
I say, “No. I didn’t know. You didn’t know either until someone told you. And now I DO know.”

LuckyGuy's avatar

A person with anosognosia doesn’t know what it is and is certain they don’t have it.
“Just ask me. I’ll tell you.”

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