KO Traveling Hobo
Member
I use "I feel like" way more than "I think". I don't see the big deal.
I use "I feel like" to express that I have a sense that something is true but I don't trust that sense enough to actually believe whatever-it-is. It's a useful way to bring up an idea for discussion that you want to hear opinions on but which you're not ready to declare yourself for or against.
To be honest, whenever I hear someone say "I feel like...", I immediately distrust what they say next. I feel like that phrase usually leads into them citing some anecdotal evidence or some obvious confirmation bias.But who really knows. I haven't seen the data on that.
I say "I feel like" to acknowledge that what I'm about to say is informed by my personal experience and may be incorrect or not generalize to everyone. It has absolutely nothing to do with trying to shut anything down or make my opinion bulletproof. The opposite, really.
I use "I feel like" to express that I have a sense that something is true but I don't trust that sense enough to actually believe whatever-it-is. It's a useful way to bring up an idea for discussion that you want to hear opinions on but which you're not ready to declare yourself for or against.
For example, I don't follow video game business news very closely. Sometimes news will get mentioned in mod chat. I might react by saying something like: "I feel like this is a bad move for Nintendo because..." What I want is for someone who pays more attention to this stuff to explain why my intuition is right or wrong.
I also use it if I'm talking to someone who I have strong disagreements with as a way of softening the impact of a statement. It invites talking about whatever-it-is rather than a shouting match - it's less likely to offend. Contra- the article, I think it makes it much easier for people to express reasonable disagreement because it's a much weaker way of identifying yourself with a position.
I use "I feel like" to express that I have a sense that something is true but I don't trust that sense enough to actually believe whatever-it-is. It's a useful way to bring up an idea for discussion that you want to hear opinions on but which you're not ready to declare yourself for or against.
For example, I don't follow video game business news very closely. Sometimes news will get mentioned in mod chat. I might react by saying something like: "I feel like this is a bad move for Nintendo because..." What I want is for someone who pays more attention to this stuff to explain why my intuition is right or wrong.
I also use it if I'm talking to someone who I have strong disagreements with as a way of softening the impact of a statement. It invites talking about whatever-it-is rather than a shouting match - it's less likely to offend. Contra- the article, I think it makes it much easier for people to express reasonable disagreement because it's a much weaker way of identifying yourself with a position.
This exactly. I've no idea how it came to be thought of as a phrase that is used to stifle conversation; I don't think I've ever seen anyone use it that way, nor have I had that kind of reaction when I've used it.