Anecdotal Evidence

[John V]

I would hope that you spent time with your spouse, and around children, long before you got married or had any.  More examples where no amount of anecdotes will be useful
"Yeah, you should get married, it's great" -say's Joe
"She's really sweet, I;ve known her forever"- say's Sally

Well, fuck it, since you two say so; I do.

"She seems high maintenance. I married, and divorced, a woman a lot like her."
"I married too young. Looking back I think I should have waited."
"With your third child, it's a different ballgame, because it's never one-on-one again."

These are useful, or at least can be if you're not so arrogant that you ignore it. Regarding children, what we gathered was that couples where both worked were more stressed, so she quit her job with the first child.

This is your tell for when you know you're losing.

So, we're not basing our decisions on anecdote anymore, as claimed, just letting them "influence" our decisions.

Yes. People type quickly on forums. I omitted the single word "partially," and now you're hanging your hat on that since I'm showing examples that most people can relate to. Believe it or not, a lot of people actually talk to other people who have experienced things and try to learn from the others' experiences.

You took her word for it, did you?

Yes, and it was accurate.

Didn't check to see if it actually was safe, spend some time in the neighborhood to check the noise level, meet her neighbors?

She had no reason to lie.

I love how the bold claim made has shriveled and changed with time, as each supporting example contradicts it.  By next post you wont be basing decision on anecdote, and they won't be influencing decisions...you'll just have heard some stories.

I love how you keep hounding a point I've conceded because you're losing the overall argument.

I base...oops, partially base...buying decisions on reviews posted online. Anecdotal evidence. Lots of people do.