Other people's experiences.....

When people tell you far out stories, do you tend to believe them or disbelieve. I have some friends who are a bit melodramatic and I will automatically doubt their stories. I have others that are so grounded and down to earth, I immediately will believe them

I have a friend who used to date my roomate. We have known each other 17 years. This is someone who does NOT believe in the paranormal. We work in the same field so we still talk occasionally. Probably 12 years ago, he and his brother were renting and apartment. There was a ghost in it. They called him "the blue man" as he was a man that was, well, blue! I believe 3 or 4 people saw the blue man while living there. None were fruity tooty types. I completely believe him as he is just not they type to make up silly stories

I have a friend who is so darn down to earth. I mean, she is a typical german and just is as logical and non hysterical as a woman can be. She and I had the same dream. She interpreted it very well and I find it so bizarre that the two of us had the same dream. I would consider myself a bit melodramatic and heck, sometimes I don't believe myself!!

Those are just two examples. Do you tend to believe some people over others or just disbelieve everyone?

Originally posted by llpoolej
When people tell you far out stories, do you tend to believe them or disbelieve.

I never "believe" a plain written story. Other factors cause me to judge whether the story is true, or false.

If the person is one who has never/very very rarely let me down and that i know well then i will trust their word- no matter how 'far out' and incredible the story may be i will still believe them.

Very few people will know someone like this because inevitably people do tend to not always keep their word and people tend to let each other down in significant ways (at some point in your relationship), significant enough to alter your trust in that person.

So from then on whether i believe a persons story or not will be a compromise of:

1. The credibility of the story based on my experiences in life and my knowledge of the subject they are talking about
2. The amount of trust I have in that person (inversely proportional to the number of times that this person has not been true to their word)

As i mentioned before, for me, trust is definitely more important than the nature of the so called 'story'

Respect- JoeyC

I tend to be open minded to all stories, I listen and ask questions,

To behonest you can normaly tell after talking to a person for a while if there story is ligit or not, people who lie often slip up,

I also think people can really believe something strange happened and through factors like fear ect can not look at the event with a clear mind,

I do believe in paranormal and have had experiences myself,

but i have had others that i could have swore blind that where paranormal only later to find out thwy was not, ie, like a strange noise...only to find out later it was something hidden under a bunch of cloths in my room, i had one of them dictator voice recorders for meetings ect, some how the thing had been knocked and turned on real low, i swore there were ghosts talking in my room lol... i slept on the sofa that night hahah

Originally posted by JoeyC
If the person is one who has never/very very rarely let me down and that i know well then i will trust their word- no matter how 'far out' and incredible the story may be i will still believe them.

As i mentioned before, for me, trust is definitely more important than the nature of the so called 'story'

So what if that particular person, who rarely let you down, actually tells you incredible stories about you, and the phenomena around you?

You may not be able to find actual evidence, but things just add up as time passes by. Certainly, the nature of the story fits the ATS board, and might be consisting of real features.

I'm not quite sure i understand your question virtue... is it the following:

Would you believe a trustworthy persons 'story' if it directly opposed your own experience and understanding?

I would tell them how my experiences in life have opposed their 'story' and see if they could explain how their story could relate and explain my own experience.

In other words we would combine both of our beliefs and search for a way in which we may both be right, i am not arrogant enough to believe that i know everything about a subject even if i appear to have a greater knowledge than that person in the subject concerned. Arrogance opposes truth.

In argument i am not concerned in being right, only in finding what is right

Originally posted by JoeyC
I'm not quite sure i understand your question virtue... is it the following:

Would you believe a trustworthy persons 'story' if it directly opposed your own experience and understanding?

Well, about this is what I mean. For example: if that person would claim that there is a small ball shaped alien craft causing you such a trouble in your house... the problems ARE there, but you cannot know for certain, what is causing them.

What about this theory?

I know this person very well, and he is just not given to making up stuff and I have never known him to lie. He tends to stay pretty quiet in general. His brother who was(at the time) his roomate tells the same story and so did a friend of his who stayed with them for a short while.

The "blue man" didn't do anything, it was just there every now and then.

I, also, tend to lend credibilty to those who have earned it and not to those who haven't

The last time I posted one of my experiences on here some people thought i was drunk when it happened.

I question everyone.
Especially myself.

Originally posted by llpoolej
I know this person very well, and he is just not given to making up stuff and I have never known him to lie.

Then you have no reason to question his words, am I right?

No and I am not saying I doubt him. I was just wondering if *others* tend to believe some people's stories and yet the same story, told the same way might make you disbelieve the person, due to the person

I was using him as an example

It really depends on how those others think. Also, the subject of that story, and the circumstances are required. eg: it is easier to convince someone here that Aliens exist, than on a different political forum. It is always a possibility that aliens do exist, and there is no doubt of their activity.

It's not actually an issue of belief, instead, the things that really add up. Therefore, if every pieces are together, then you have no reason to be sceptical to the story.

Originally posted by llpoolej
No and I am not saying I doubt him. I was just wondering if *others* tend to believe some people's stories and yet the same story, told the same way might make you disbelieve the person, due to the person

I was using him as an example

Well, yeah. I know that if any of my close friends came to me with a story, I could believe them because all of them are down to earth and wouldn't come to me with something like that unless they really thought that it happened. There is also the fact that my close friends and I have established a relationship of trust and we would not lie to each other. Then there are some people that I know, on the other hand, who tend to be a bit on the melodramatic side, and I would be forced to question them more because while part of it may be true, a lot of it is probably going to be overaggageration and fabrication to make the situation seem more intense than it really was. Then there are one or two people who are out and out compulsive lyers that I instinctively block out whenever they open their mouths.

Originally posted by toechopper
Then there are some people that I know, on the other hand, who tend to be a bit on the melodramatic side, and I would be forced to question them more because while part of it may be true, a lot of it is probably going to be overaggageration and fabrication to make the situation seem more intense than it really was.

How do you judge, that those people's stories are questionable, or not? What makes you suspect, that they might only be partially true?