Why a friend's recommendation beats a 4.2-star rating

A 4.2 mixes everyone who happened to leave a rating: people who love what you love, and people who love the opposite. Averaged together, they cancel out into a number that tells you a place is fine for most people. It can't tell you whether it's right for you.

When a friend says "you'd love it", they're comparing the place to you, not to everyone. They know you hate loud rooms, that you'll drive across town for good bread, that you cried at the last film they sent you to. That context is the whole point, and no rating can hold it.

You might trust one friend completely on restaurants and not at all on films. That's normal. Good recommendations come from the right person for the right thing, so it helps to notice who you agree with, category by category.

1. 01For places: would you go back? It's clearer than any number.
2. 02For films and books: was it really good, okay, or not for me?
3. 03For anything: who is it for? "Great for a first date" is more useful than five stars.