Yet another "Future of Shaving" thread...

[blackfoot]

Have some faith. I don't exactly consider a news story a reliable reference on the behavior groups of people, just fyi.

Additionally, with an attitude like yours, you can't exactly change people's minds. You're just setting yourself for failure.

 

[BatNastard]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off as negative. My point is it's very very hard to change the public consciousness when everyone believes in something that's "common knowledge," even if it's not true.

Here's a link to the actual study, linked on the last page of the news story. The story is a regular column by John Allen Paulos, a mathematician who likes to expose flaws in logic.

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/norbert.schwarz/files/07_aep_schwarz_et_al_setting-people-straight.pdf

I realize ONE university study is not definitive; I just found it interesting to see an academic approach to a phenomenon I'd long observed.

 

[blackfoot]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off as negative. My point is it's very very hard to change the public consciousness when everyone believes in something that's "common knowledge," even if it's not true.

People are very dogmatic. However, They will follow certain people anywhere. If Oprah said she used a pine cone for a tampon, there would instantly be hundreds of women swearing by it. Not to knock Oprah or the women who watch or to start a flame war. That is just human nature, I guess.

 

[gollum83]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off as negative. My point is it's very very hard to change the public consciousness when everyone believes in something that's "common knowledge," even if it's not true.

I'm quite familiar with conformation bias. And by that same token I understand the point your trying to make. However, I also wonder how much of this attitude toward shaving is conformation bias and how much is self-fulfilling prophecy due to people such as yourself. How do you know the masses are not willing to be reeducated on shaving if you have already written them off as a lost cause? Think about that for a minute.

Here's a link to the actual study, linked on the last page of the news story. The story is a regular column by John Allen Paulos, a mathematician who likes to expose flaws in logic.

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/norbert.schwarz/files/07_aep_schwarz_et_al_setting-people-straight.pdf

I realize ONE university study is not definitive; I just found it interesting to see an academic approach to a phenomenon I'd long observed.

Okay, I did go back and read that article in addition to that the latest paper you recently provided. First of all, I'll admit the first article wasn't bad. Still Paulos, as you pointed out, is a mathematician not a psychologist. Just because he happens to be a populist mathematician doesn't make him an expert on all things logic, science, math, etc. All it means is that he was lucky enough to be published in the real world (as opposed to the academic world), that's all.

One more thing, that last article looked more like a review than a study.

 

[BatNastard]

Points well taken. I was never trying to say that it's impossible to convince an entire nation (minus a few thousand) that one blade is really all you need, just that such a feat might be more Herculean than we are thinking. I actually think the bumper sticker idea is the right way to go - slogans that get stuck in people's heads seem most likely to work, just like "two blades are better than one" worked for Gillette.

I liken it to my other passions - bikes and records. Everyone "knows" that the more gears on a bike, the better. Everyone "knows" that CDs sound better than records (Perfect Sound Forever, anyone?). I've been able to pique the interest of a few folks here and there, same with wetshaving, but not en masse, and I'm not that, for example, the recent upsurge in vinyl sales represents a sea change.

You seem to think I'm unwilling to try to make changes; I'm really just interested in understanding the large-scale phenomenon of often-faulty "common knowledge." I thought others had heard "a person is smart; people are stupid" before. I've noticed people do think 5 blades are a bit ridiculous, so maybe the time is right, but most people I talk to "know" that you need at least 3 blades for a good shave.

 

[gollum83]

Fair enough. If nothing else debating this makes for interesting conversation.

And CDs do last forever... I've NEVER experienced irreversibly scratched discs, disc rot and other issues. Perfect sound forever indeed!