We people… can be a big bunch consumers… it seems.  I consume.

One thing I tend to buy a lot of….are Apps.  I need Apps.  I didn’t use to.  But dang.  Now I do.  And when I make these purchases, I depend on the old five-star rating system.  I look to see what other people have said about a particular App.  Good, Bad, or In-Between.

But let’s put in more practical terms.  Product ratings can be quite helpful. The only tricky thing is, we don’t know who’s doing the rating. Take a washing machine for instance. Five stars from “Twinkly on My Toes” in New York. She writes this make of washer take is great for my needs. It does the perfect job.  And the next guy.  This time he’s from  the Bay Area in California.  “Dashing in San Francisco” writes….five stars! perfect for what I need.  Super duper machine.

So… it is a great machine. But wait!  The next rating is zero stars. Big Boss in Des Moines say…..This washing machine sucks. It’s the worst  I’ve ever seen. It never gets the clothes clean.

Here’s the thing. What are their needs? We don’t have any way of knowing… at least not from these reviews.   How can one minute something get five stars and the next minute zero stars. It just doesn’t make sense.

My guess is people have different needs. Twinkly in New York? Turns out…..She’s a dang ballerina…… in the New York City Ballet Company. She only washes her leotard’s. On the delicate cycle. With Woolite. Same thing with the bay guy in San Francisco. He’s a drag queen. He only washes his hose. And a few very fine dresses. Once again.. on the delicate cycle.  With Woolite.

How about Big Boss in Des Moines? She’s a mother of six kids. She uses the heavy duty cycle. She does big humongous loads. The thing breaks on her every other day. Now Big Boss…..She is doing my kind of washing. Zero stars.

So there you have it.  Each person has a different “thing” they need, and when it comes down to it…. they “rate” their experiences based on whether or not their needs were satisfied.

Consumer Ratings.   And all of life.  Life Ratings.

Different people.  Different needs.  Different perspectives.

Let those stars whirl about in the spin cycle for a while.

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“Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.” – Unkknown

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“I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come.” – Abraham Lincoln