Why Do You Rank Things?

[Eliahad]

I don't unless I am required to by my contracts. Not beyond 'I like this,' or 'I don't like that,' anyway. When I have to grade playing tests and put players in an order, it's the worst thing in the world for me. Especially when I understand that I, have to subjectively quantify different skill sets to come up with an aggregate score for a student. This student did better on x and y, but this other student was amazing on z. Does that mean that they were better in the end?

I am ranked constantly, which has led to more than a little anxiety about being good enough or doing enough for the people that I perceive to be ranking me.

So why then do you feel the need to rank things yourselves? Because I don't understand that feeling personally and would like to get some insight into it.

[Stan]

I'm more along the lines of you. I think along the lines of mental bins with things along the lines of like, dislike, meh.

Besides, in most cases, people cannot reliably sort into more than 4-5 categories. If you ask them a week or a year later, their sorting will be different, exposing some arbitrariness in the process.

I could see how ordering students would be difficult. And how helpful is that? Knowing that you are 5 of 12 isn't as helpful as knowingthat you are really killing one aspect but you need to work on this other thing.

[Kyle]

Because it’s fun for me and a way to make me critically think about things.

[poorpete]

Lists are a fun way to gamify talking about culture. Sure I can chat about presidents, but how about desert island presidents or who should really be on Mt Rushmore.

I dunno when lists became important to me. Probably around the time I got a World Almanac and became obsessed with the lists therein.

A major influential list was the AFI 100 Greatest Films. Took me almost a year to complete and then it became fun to debate what was good and bad and missing from that list. Literally 20 years later, the podcast Unspooled is doing the same.

[Phoebe]

Now thinking about what sorts of things I choose to rank, unbidden - i.e. not because someone asks for your top five favorites, but because you want to rank them spontaneously. Often it's stuff I like, and doing it is some weird way of dwelling among the thoughts about why the things are liked. It's pretty much the same impulse at work when you're a kid ranking the favorite smelly markers. Weird impulse. I wonder why.

[poorpete]

Good stuff. What did cavemen rank? Top 5 worst berries to eat, but I hungry, and berry so red and inviting!

I've been thinking about kit kats.
I had a pack of five flavors and I ranked them. All I remember is plain was my top, which was kinda lame but makes sense: that's why it's called a kit kat and became popular, because it's good.

Anywho, the rank wouldn't matter in most cases. I liked them all and would happily eat any of them if given a chance.

If I was offered five of any flavor I would pick one of each.

But if I was offered one... I'd pick original.

If I was offered four... I'd probably not pick the white chocolate one.

But also, again, the rank DOES matter at five or more because it's fun to rank things.

And also also, at some point I'll eat all but one kit kat, and, for sure, it will be an original kit kat.

This rambling post has been brought to you by kit kat! Now in six flavors. Break me off a piece of that is a thing I say!

[Phoebe]

My feelings about the Starburst flavors have gone through strange cycles. And I'm only rating the original four; forget that other nonsense they put out. There are four flavors.

[Tahlvin]

[Kyle]

[Phoebe]

No, there are no other flavors.

[poorpete]

[Tahlvin]

There is only one Oreo: Double Stuff!

[Ronster]

I rank things in a different way...to prioritize time use for maximum accomplishment (combining errands, appointments, work schedules)

I'm not good on ranking stuff usually. Although a new candy bar rank might be in my future.

[akiva]

I find it hard to believe that no one has made this joke yet, so I will: What are your top 3 reasons for ranking things?

[Phoebe]

Okay we can close the thread down now.