downward spiral

[beeja]

Anyone knows downward spiral? Pls explain or give me some samples of this concept of thinking or you know, some kinda downward spiral talk.

Thanks!!

 

[Tdol]

A downward spiral is when things get worse and worse. As thinking it would be sinking into depression- a drinker worries about the money they spend on drink, gets depressed and drink, then feels guilty and poor and drunk, etc. ;-)

 

[beeja]

A downward spiral is when things get worse and worse. As thinking it would be sinking into depression- a drinker worries about the money they spend on drink, gets depressed and drink, then feels guilty and poor and drunk, etc. ;-)

Is it a kind of depressive? you know, like thinking only that the worse and worse thing's gonna happen, like a pessimist.

:?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Anyone knows downward spiral? Pls explain or give me some samples of this concept of thinking or you know, some kinda downward spiral talk.

Thanks!!

Think about an airplane going around in circles and descending to earth at the same time.

 

[henry]

Anyone knows downward spiral? Pls explain or give me some samples of this concept of thinking or you know, some kinda downward spiral talk.

Thanks!!

Think about an airplane going around in circles and descending to earth at the same time.

Wow, I am hugely fasinated by your sentence.

8)

 

[Beeuurkes]

Is downward spiral equivalent to "snowball" effect :?:

 

[MikeNewYork]

Anyone knows downward spiral? Pls explain or give me some samples of this concept of thinking or you know, some kinda downward spiral talk.

Thanks!!

Think about an airplane going around in circles and descending to earth at the same time.

Wow, I am hugely fasinated by your sentence.

8)

Thank you, lad! :wink:

 

[MikeNewYork]

Is downward spiral equivalent to "snowball" effect :?:

If you are talking about a snowball rolling down a mountain, the two are a bit different. The snowball metaphor implies that the snowball gets bigger and bigger as it rolls down the mountain.

 

[Beeuurkes]

But if the snowball gets bigger and bigger, could this mean that the problem is getting worse and worse ???

 

[MikeNewYork]

But if the snowball gets bigger and bigger, could this mean that the problem is getting worse and worse ???

Yes, but also bigger and bigger -- spreading. Problems can snowball and they can cause downward spirals, but the problems don't spiral downward.

A business division that is in a downward spiral is getting worse and worse, but it is not getting bigger and bigger.

An investigation can snowball, because it starts to get bigger and bigger and it affects more and more people.

Is that any clearer? :wink:

 

[Beeuurkes]

Is that any clearer?

Yes, Mike. Now, I can see the difference between these two expressions. Thank you a lot. :wink:

 

[MikeNewYork]

Is that any clearer?

Yes, Mike. Now, I can see the difference between these two expressions. Thank you a lot. :wink:

You're welcome. :wink:

 

[Red5]

Yes, but also bigger and bigger -- spreading. Problems can snowball and they can cause downward spirals, but the problems don't spiral downward.

They surely can, or do you disagree? EG: On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is a completely handleable problem, and 1 is totally unmanageable) my problems spiralled downwards. I'm not suggesting that this would be a natural way of saying it, but that I can imagine a situation where it might be used. ;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

Yes, but also bigger and bigger -- spreading. Problems can snowball and they can cause downward spirals, but the problems don't spiral downward.

They surely can, or do you disagree? EG: On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is a completely handleable problem, and 1 is totally unmanageable) my problems spiralled downwards. I'm not suggesting that this would be a natural way of saying it, but that I can imagine a situation where it might be used. ;-)

I really don't think that works very well. Problems can certainly get worse, but I wouldn't term that a downward spiral. For example, recession is a problem that affects the economy. If recession were in a downward spiral, I would say that the economy would get better. Howevere, when recession gets worse, it can cause a downward spiral in the economy. :wink:

 

[Beeuurkes]

So. If I try to resume ...

A downward spiral could be like a vicious circle, where problems are breeding some other problems so that the situation is becoming more and more critical (big crash at the end).

A snowball would be the accumulation of problems (not especially related) leading to a situation less and less manageable (not especially a crash at the end).

What do you think ?

 

[MikeNewYork]

So. If I try to resume ...

A downward spiral could be like a vicious circle, where problems are breeding some other problems so that the situation is becoming more and more critical (big crash at the end).

A snowball would be the accumulation of problems (not especially related) leading to a situation less and less manageable (not especially a crash at the end).

What do you think ?

That's pretty good, but I wouldn't use "snowball" for individual, unrelated problems. :wink:

 

[Red5]

Problems can also spiral out of control. ;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

Problems can also spiral out of control. ;-)

Excellent. That's very true.

 

[Red5]

Poetically, if love can spiral downwards, why can't problems?

What about the following:

"... In the other, unaddressed and worsening problems spiral down into abject, tragic failure."

http://www.westmont.edu/~work/lectures/kingoftheworld.pdf

:?:

 

[MikeNewYork]

Poetically, if love can spiral downwards, why can't problems?

What about the following:

"... In the other, unaddressed and worsening problems spiral down into abject, tragic failure."

http://www.westmont.edu/~work/lectures/kingoftheworld.pdf

:?:

To me this a bit like "deceptively shallow". A problem is a bad thing. If it spirals downward, it is unclear if it is getting worse or going away.