I recently read a post on a social media group of someone asking for opinions of an airline and whether to book with them or not. It seems more and more these days we’re obsessed with reviews and ratings but in truth, they don’t exist.
If you ask 10 random people for their experiences with anything, you’ll get 10 different answers. So many factors are at play when we do anything in life, so why do we rely on a stranger’s opinions before doing things?
Our gallery has some great reviews but I have never courted any of them. It’s because, even though many are kind, I know there are probably some people who have had bad experiences too, given their expectations, mood, wishes and needs on that particular day. So as much as they’re entitled to them, they are completely personal to them.
We’ve even found a way to manipulate reviews: famously the young man who got to the top of Trip Adviser’s Best London restaurant list with a fictitious back garden eatery that had never served one plate of food. So why do we rely on them so readily?
We truly need to live and learn. Isn’t that the meaning of life, after all? Maybe we need to make more mistakes, revel in the unexpected, gain personal experiences and refrain from relying on others to tell us how great or awful something is/was. Where someone has had misery, you may find unwavering joy. And if not, at least you’ll have lived.