I wonder, how can we answer questions with really little knowledge except for our own experience and maybe education without taking full responsibility for the outcome of our answers. There are people out there who want to lose 60 pounds and are 125 pounds, others who are contemplating a kind of rape or people who are just very lost. How do we answer to them when they choose an answer that may cost them their future or their lives?
2006-07-21 14:41:50 · 11 answers · asked by COLLEEN K 2 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
Just do your best and give them the best advise you can. Treat it as if it were a member of your family asking you the questions. In the end, they are always the one who is going to make the decisions. Sometimes people make bad decisions even if they are given good advise, it just happens. All you can do is try your best to help.
2006-07-21 14:45:00 · answer #1 · answered by corbeyelise 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Whatever you say, include a disclaimer, that you are giving opinion and whomever should see a doctor (or whomever would be appropriate), otherwise, I'm not sure what the potential is for a lawsuit because of an answer. I have seen questions from people who are very much hurting and they require kindness and careful wording of answers. The kind of people you mention are reaching out, and need to know they are OK.(loved and lovable)Thats the very best you can say, and then move to the rest of the answer you give.Personal experience is the most effective answer too.The "I been there", its very helpful.This is a place for people to ask, where family or friends might freak out with a question, and they dont know who else to ask.You have an opportunity to make a difference-if not in them-then yourself.
2006-07-21 15:04:37 · answer #2 · answered by baghmom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is an interesting question. For myself, I can say that I have stuck to answering questions that I either know about or can find information about, and that does not have the potential to be as life-altering as the scenarios you describe in your question, because you're right. When you give someone advice, it is always possible that it will come back and bite them. I've tried to stick to answering questions that aren't going to have a backlash for people who follow my advice. I have answered questions like, "Why are mayo packets larger than ketchup packets?" or "How can I look at this letter someone sent me when I don't own Microsoft Word?". I guess the best thing we can do is continue to answer questions about facts and knowledge, without offering advice.
2006-07-21 14:48:41 · answer #3 · answered by AlexG 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometime the best answers come from people that have experienced different things in life. when people give advice, an experience or even something that they have learned why not share the information that they have, and it is true that what is good for you may not be good for me but a decision has to be made and some people need to hear what others have to share in order to change things in their lives.
2006-07-21 14:54:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just do your best at giving the best most reliable answer possible, and if someone is using this for the wrong reason (such as planning a rape or egging on their anorexic tendencies) then it's not our fault because we didn't answer their question to help them do something like that with it, we just answer with the intentions of possibly helping something that needs legitimate help
2006-07-21 14:47:34 · answer #5 · answered by Angelina 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If a person said he wanted to lose 60 pounds, I would tell him to go to his doctor to get help to avoid anorexia.
If someone asked for the best way to committ suicide, I tell them not to take a permanent solution to a temporary problem and to seek help to avert these feelings.
At the very least, you can stress to these people that there are places and people who can render genuine help and assistance.
2006-07-21 14:46:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Umm, I don't think that anyone takes yahoo answers that seriously. If you take your question seriously, maybe you need to see a psychiatrist.
2006-07-21 14:46:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
we give answers, they choose which one they like most and act as they want, and it's not our problem to care about their future, every person should have brains of their own to think and not to believe blindly
2006-07-21 14:55:59 · answer #8 · answered by from Heaven 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its up to thier own personal descretion. i could careless if people take my advice or not. like you said, its all from personal experience.
2006-07-21 14:46:18 · answer #9 · answered by jOeL 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't take all of this stuff toooooooo serious. I lot of it is just for fun.
2006-07-27 10:13:45 · answer #10 · answered by CottonPatch 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋