Readers' Comment

This article looks at phone-ins as a technique for gathering information from an otherwise inaccessible public and as a basis for social action of various kinds.     

Abso ute ... Flexibility

There can be comfort in having other people make decisions for us, even life altering ones. When we are unsure or afraid, it is not uncommon to turn to others-experts-to help us decide whatto do, wha! path to take. Perhaps we don＇t trust our own instincts or maybe we really don＇t know what to do in a specific situation. Rather than rely on our own self-knowledge, we seek outside advice. We want to defer the decision making to others, get an ironclad, black or white answer to questions that sometimes reside in a shade of gray. One time when I was at a dermatologist＇s office, she told me There are three things I want you to do： take an aspirin every day, use suntan lotion every time you go outside in the sun and wear a baseball hat if you are in the sun for a prolonged period of time.