From time to time I review surveys before they are published. I learn perspectives from what questions are asked and the possible answers to those questions — even before the public has responded to them.
A while back, I read one particular survey that got my full attention.
That survey had a specific question that was the equivalent to asking members of a synagogue how often they daydreamed of being in the gestapo.
I was curious about the reasoning behind the question. Fortunately, there was a written rationale and I was able to investigate the reasoning behind that specific survey question. My typical routine was to read the entire survey and then flip to the notes. That question had me flipping to the notes immediately. I was puzzled and was hoping to gain understanding and insight.
The author explained that everyone daydreams about this topic regularly. The author believed that anyone who did not admit to at least once a week daydreams about being in the gestapo was lying. They felt denying such thoughts was such a significant lie that such survey responses needed to be thrown out.
I am familiar with the community being surveyed and knew that the author was wildly off base.
This situation caused me to wonder just how often people are so blinded by their preconceptions that they disregard large chunks of reality. Anything that does not match what they think and believe gets discarded or dismissed.
Have you come across people in your real life or on your social media experience who seem disconnected from reality?
Wheat & Tares 
Talk about projection on the side of the survey author!
You put me in mind of various podcasters, who’ve insisted such and such a behaviour is normal, everyone does it, and if they say they don’t they must be lying. Which always left me somewhat puzzled. I don’t think you can generalise anything to everyone. Not by a long stretch. Such and such a behaviour may be common place, and perhaps not harmful (I might disagree depending on the particular behaviour, and / or whether it interferes in the daily life of an individual). But that’s a long way from insisting everyone, and harmless. Such claims clearly say more about them than this supposed everyone.
I typically have disliked the expression “Every accusation is a confession.” As being too smug it simple, but more and more, people seem to just keep making it true 😂
Surveys are for the benefit of the company or organization, not the customers or respondents. On occasion, the companies (or maybe a few managers within the company) do really want to know what the problems are and what customers/respondents are unhappy about. But much of the time everyone at the company is happier if customers just say, “It was fine. I was happy.” Even if they are not.
The Church does surveys of the membership on various issues and topics. Have you ever received any feedback? Does it publish the data so you, the membership, get some info about what other members think? Never. It’s for their benefit (senior leadership), not ours. They have known for decades, even generations, how annoyed most members are about garments — but they’ve done almost nothing. They collect so much tithing they don’t know what to do with it (hence the ballooning Hundred Billion Dollar Fund) but they won’t give the faithful members a break. And so on.
So screw surveys. If they really want to know what I think and advice I would give, they can hire me as a consultant and pay me for my opinion. Otherwise, you companies and institutions and churches, I’ll just vote with my feet and my not-for-you-anymore dollars.