

I'm trying to be less hyperbolic - kine
http://zackshapiro.com/post/37569825579/im-trying-to-be-less-hyperbolic

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hnruss
Hyperboles are great for jokes, but bad for arguments.

Many people take hyperbolic statements too literally and are quick to argue
with them. By arguing the point, the person who made the statement is put on
the defensive and the conversation descends into petty bickering.

Next time you are about to react to a hyperbolic statement, take a moment to
consider whether the person making the statement actually believes it or is
just saying it to express their feelings on the subject.

Consider the statement: "Fish is the worst food ever!" Obviously, there are
worse foods, but-- do you really need argue that? Can you even win an argument
about taste? Who are you really impressing by arguing about that? Also, why
bother?

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hilko
Haha, that rings so true. I usually spend half an argument with friends
getting to the point where the 'hyperbolizer' clarifies that he or she was
merely hyperbolic. But the rest of the conversation is influenced by this
initial hyperbole, and usually I conclude it was probably best to let it rest
and perhaps get back to it later.

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digitalmerc
"I'm trying to be less hyperbolic"...

"I'd be honored if you followed me on Twitter."

While I agree with the thesis, and I'd like to start doing so as well, that
was kind of funny.

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polyfractal
I have a friend that continually exclaims "This is the <over-the-top
adjective> ever!"....about everything.

It get's old when every dog you see is the cutest ever, every movie is the
best ever, every thing you eat is the tastiest ever.

People really do overuse hyperbole

~~~
potatolicious
I don't see the problem with this - it seems to me like someone who is
thoroughly enjoying life.

If you're frequently over-the-moon with joy at your meals, your movies, the
animals you run across, your job, or whatever, it seems like a fundamentally
_good_ state to be in.

~~~
hilko
I'd say we need more context to say anything about this friend. I have friends
who are very 'hyperbolic', but seem so honest. It's like they experience
things as a child, or for the first time.

I also have friends who do this, where it seems to be a mask they put on.
These friends often have rather unpleasant pasts.

It's a bit like the manic pixie dream girl, to use a fascinating stereotype. I
have often tried to delve deep, and it's sometimes really hard to discern the
'broken' kind from the truly 'child-like' type.

Broad strokes, I know, and please forgive me. The only point I want to make is
that context is everything in this case.

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anonymouz
Oh yes, hyperbole is the worst!

~~~
bjhoops1
Aaaand you beat me to my smartass comment... well played.

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bnegreve
I think hyperboles serve a purpose: they provide additional meta informations,
generally about author's emotions. It helps to understand author's exact mind
set and makes the text more enjoyable to read.

Edit: This _Everything is my fault_ blog post is a good illustration:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4895335>

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shoopy
I'm pretty maxxed out on ingesting hyperbole from the deluge of punched-up
linkbait/SEO'd articles over the past few years.

~~~
kine
I am as well

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andrewfelix
What I find worse than hyperbole in comments is snide criticism and rhetorical
questions.

"Do you really believe that?"

"You can't possibly be serious?"

"So you're saying...[insert hyperbolic interpretation of comment]?"

etc.

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jeffehobbs
Instead you should try to be the LEAST HYPERBOLIC PERSON EVER

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adamnemecek
I hate to be that guy, but why is this getting upvoted?

~~~
DanBC
Just for fun here are the people who upload stories from jackshapiro.com, and
here are the domains that kine uploads stories from.

<http://imgur.com/a/cQFWa>

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Evbn
To be less hyperbolic, recall the parabole of the... circle.

~~~
nostrademons
Nice touch with the ellipses...

