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Which one should be used?

To me, it makes no difference, but I'm not really sure why.

vs

For me, it makes no difference, but I'm not really sure why.

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Could you provide complete sentences using both forms? – Steve Melnikoff Sep 16 '10 at 10:00
Edited the question so the comparison is clear. – Kosmonaut Sep 16 '10 at 11:11

4 Answers

up vote 4 down vote accepted

I think the general (most widely-applicable) one would be "to me". To my knowledge, it can be used in any of these cases where "for me" is used, and in some where "for me" can't be used.

For example:

  • For me, this is not a difficult problem.

  • To me, this is not a difficult problem.

Both of the above are fine.

But look at the following pair:

  • *For me, he is an idiot.

  • To me, he is an idiot.

The first example doesn't work as a way to express opinion, but "to me" still works fine.

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In your second pair, consider the case of one supervisor talking to another about a float employee. He may be fine working in one situation, but not another. Is this too contrived a counter-example? – kajaco Sep 16 '10 at 16:36
No, it is not that it is too contrived, it is that you are talking about a different sense of "for me". The "for me" part doesn't mean "in my opinion" in this situation, it means "(when doing work) for me". But I agree that the sentence can mean something in the right situation (such as your example). – Kosmonaut Sep 16 '10 at 17:54
up vote 1 down vote

Hmm, tough one. Rearranging the sentences helped me see this a little more clearly:

It makes no difference to me

This suggests there is no effect on me materially, emotionally, financially ...etc. That is, nothing will happen to me.

It makes no difference for me

This suggests that I have no strong opinion on this.

I can't explain this in terms of grammar or style, it's just a feeling that the sentences provoked when I said them to myself.

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up vote 1 down vote

"According to me" I would follow Antony Quinn's interpretation...

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up vote 1 down vote

I basically agree with Antony Quinn's answer, with one slight difference. for me implies that your decision will not affect me. to me means I don't much care what you decide, even if it does affect me.

Illustration: My employer considers switching from issuing pay checks every week to issuing them once a quarter. This affects me, and I don't want it to happen, so I might say, It makes a difference for me (because my cash flow cannot handle this). (Sorry that I couldn't think of an example that kept the "no difference" idea.) However, if my employer considers switching from weekly to biweekly pay checks, it still affects me, but not in any way that matters to me (because my cash flow can handle this), so I might say, It makes no difference to me.

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