# how to know why one's question was downvoted?

This is a repeated question which pops up. How is one suppose to know why was a question downvoted so they can improve it? Recently two of my questions were downvoted. Here is the image.

And the links. What is wrong with this solution of find the least value of $\sec^6 x +\csc^6 x + \sec^6 x\csc^6 x$ Find the least value of $\sec^6 x +\csc^6 x + \sec^6 x\csc^6 x$ What can one do about it? Except for individually asking on meta for every single question.

perhaps relevant(this probably increased the views and drove traffic to those two questions).What is the {real} meaning of duplicate question?

• Unless someone leaves a comment, you cannot know why it was downvoted.
– Xander Henderson Mod
Apr 21 '19 at 12:59
• @XanderHenderson perhaps one can suggest possible reasons for it? So that I can improve my post. Apr 21 '19 at 13:01
• "This is a repeated question which pops up." And what didn't you understand about the answers that were given the other times it popped up? Apr 21 '19 at 13:32
• @GerryMyerson I never 'asked' a question along that lines. Except this of course. They often pop and disappear in my brain. Apr 21 '19 at 13:39
• I didn't write that you had asked the question, only quoted your assertion that the question had popped up. I took this to mean that others had posted this question on meta before – isn't that what you meant? And if others have posted it before, why post it again? Apr 21 '19 at 22:10
• @GerryMyerson I did some research, but didn't find a general question about a this issue, only for a perticular question. Apr 22 '19 at 2:58
• "perhaps relevant(this probably increased the views and drove traffic to those two questions)." might be, you just invoked the meta effect Apr 22 '19 at 3:28
• Apr 22 '19 at 12:02
• Also math.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/27698/… and math.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/27232/… and math.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/26709/… and math.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/26573/… and probably two dozen others. Surely one of these is relevant here? Apr 22 '19 at 12:06

There is an asymmetry here. People always want to know why their questions/answers were downvoted, but give no thought to why they were upvoted. I have received upvotes that were not really deserved, but it didn't cross my mind to ask why the upvotes!

In short: upvotes/downvotes have a random element, and worrying about every one is a fruitless exercise. Put it down to the weather.

• Yes, upvotes can be really random. In fact my highest votes I have on an answer, which I consider pretty bad, and I always wondered why everyone seemed to like it that much... I think it is just an effect, that people tend to upvote questions/answers which already have a lot of votes. And also they tend to downvote these with a lot of downvotes. But when you write an answer, which you think is helpful and you really wanted to help with it, a downvote without any explaination seems just unfair. And in my opinion there should be a reason given for the downvote, which only the auther sees. Apr 21 '19 at 23:01
• @Cornman someone should post it as a feature request on meta. Should one? Apr 22 '19 at 3:24
• @swarnim no, because it has been asked many times and just shot down Apr 22 '19 at 3:58
• When a question is upvoted it means it is a good question. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to change. Things are working fine. When a post is down voted it means exactly opposite of all above listed points. Apr 22 '19 at 8:08
• @swarnim: No and no. Upvotes and downvotes can be completely random. Once you realise this, those downvotes will stop bothering you :-) Apr 22 '19 at 9:27
• @swarnim To exemplify what TonyK said, sometimes people upvote (downvote) to get the "Electorate" gold badge. Apr 22 '19 at 9:58
• @YuiTo, you have evidence of that? Apr 22 '19 at 11:57
• @GerryMyerson For example, this post Apr 22 '19 at 11:59
• OK, @YuiTo, so one person did it. One person isn't "people". Apr 22 '19 at 12:08
• @GerryMyerson I apologized for the overgeneralization. My intention is to convince the OP that sometimes upvotes (downvotes) are mysterious. Apr 22 '19 at 12:10