I don't think the questions are biased....You can go right or left, and the conservative wing is more black and white in their thinking, generally, than the left...
But, the question for me is,...where did he determine the center to be?...That strikes me as being somewhat to the right, and therefore is skewing the results to the left on the chart.
Fun to see the spectrum of our group though, anyway...

forrest wrote on 01/04/09 at 13:27:05:


True; but were talking about core beliefs here. To revisit the statement
"The businessperson and the manufacturer are more important than the writer and the artist.", I don't personally believe either is more importatnt than the other. I belive we need both in a balanced society. To have only artists and writers would likely lead to starvation; whereas to have nothing but business and manufactoring would render us well fed, but souless. Yet I wasn't given the option of stating what I really believed, I merely had to choose from the offerings given to me by an outside influence. An influence whose true agenda is rather murky to detect, at least to me.
Granted, given a ""worse case scenario" I suppose I would pick the business/manufactoring angle (I need to eat), but again that doesn't address my core beliefs, just what I would do if faced with a survival situation. That doesn't tell us anything about what we belive makes up a healthy, balanced society; just what we fall back on if that society breaks down.
In fact, some of the questions, to me, did not even make sense. The one which stated that all children keep secrets from their parents left me thinking "Well, duh!" What does that teach us? Every child keeps secrets from their parents.
In the end, I suppose it's best to ascribe to this what has already been said, it's a fun way to waste a little time; but I wouldn't put too much wieght in the results.

In this ever increasingly competive world, one is dependant upon the other.  Business' and mfg's are dependant upon writers and artists for more desirable product.  While the latter are dependant upon the former to eat.

Reelthing wrote on 01/05/09 at 07:09:11:



MORE important,, I shoulda said YES, because as RT points out, from a practical point of view, no,a realistic point of view, society cant exist w/o the money makers, but I went with the smarmy answer.. I am soooo ashamed..NOT, It was the option of making the point that arts are important or not. As a young man, I woulda answered yes & stayed with it,what HAppunt to me?

verslagen1 wrote on 01/05/09 at 08:52:14:


Very true - but that seems to be a different type of writer and artist - I take it the question means pure art and pure writen er... fluff - of no practical value what ever - except for the enjoyment or enrichment of the mind

Paladin. wrote on 01/05/09 at 13:21:46:

While it's true, form should follow function and that would be great if we all drove tanks.  But even then, what would you choose? a russian tank (so simple even a caveman can do it) an abrams or a challanger?
As an engineer, I'm inspired by the world around me.  I read fiction, and I write technical papers.  And I look at art (mostly what the L reaction) and mechanical art (that's what appeals to me, go figure)
So you currently have 100's of cars to choose from, which one do you choose?  You can narrow it down by price, performance, fit and function.  Then it comes down to looks.  Would you rather be seen in a Rolls, or a Lambourgetti?

The point being that even a great artist must eat.  Besides the greats works of visual art Michelangelo has created, he also invented machines of war.  And he did this to be employable.

Writers and artists must eat just like the rest of us.  If their art does not provide, they will search for a job that makes use of their talent.

I am a art lover,in fact on my trip to Paris I spent most of my time in the "Musee de Orsy" that have nothing but impressionist paintings,
Degas,La Trec,Vincent van Goch,and many others,while I appreciat all of there works and realy enjoy looking at them, I got much more enjoyment at the model engineres exibition in Earls Court in London,and at the science musium ,also in London.
That being said it was a difficult question for me to answer,I chose Art
for the simple reason I see art every where,the beautiful lines of a
Ducati,the simplicity of a Manx Norton,to me are art forms, art is a combernation of business and pleasure.
If you go into a coffee shop and order a piece of pie that is exactly what you get ,if you order the same thing in a 4 star restaurant ,you get some thing that is not just tasty but some thing with eye appeal.
I don't know where I am going with this ,but I'm sure you get the idea.