I remember growing up, one of my teachers had defined an opinion as an idea or or thought formulated through education, experience, and personal memories. This same teacher also made sure to point out very clearly that an opinion could never be wrong.
Well, I am starting to wonder that. I know that when I have stated my opinions, I have been told flat out that I was wrong. Not that my experiences were false, not that my research or education or knowledge of the subject was inaccurate or wrong - just that my opinion in general was wrong.
And I have come across many, many people that have stated their own opinions about a subject, and I question sometimes the validity of their opinion.
That, or I have heard countless times someone say something as though it were a fact - and as soon as the fact is refuted or argued, that person hides behind that whole "well, that's my opinion" shield as though by clarifying that it's an opinion the argument will cease.
Well, if an opinion is formed based on your perception, and your perception is your interpretation of a truth, then can your opinion ever be "wrong" or refuted?
Your opinon is exactly that
Who cares if they can be wrong. Most of the topics discussed on this site have to do with where we want this world to be headed. Add to the end of every opinion, "...and that is how I think the world is/should be." Seems plenty reasonable to argue points of opinion now, doesn't it.
I am opinionated, but people who didn't like what I was saying have altered my opinion. They wanted to alter it because this is a democracy and opinion is the driving force of our government. Opinion is a valuable commodity, and I can see why people may say one is wrong.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.
well, I know you're right on this one :)
I guess my question was a bit more literal, though - like could an opinion be *proven* wrong?
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/fanaile-drupal-org
I think it could be proven that one is so far off base it is wrong, yes.
Res ipsa loquitur.
memor mori, mahalo.
I will have to agree with thomas andrew duval. . . "your opinion is exactly that." If we take it one step further and simply look at the definition of an opinion, that being;
"the view somebody takes about a certain issue, especially when it is based solely on personal judgment." why are people so quick to want to 'prove' others' opinions right or wrong anway? Is it simply to make one feel superior?; to make one's judgment more justified than another's?; do some feel that they always have to be right and someone else always has to be wrong?
Some things really are as simple as just an opinion whether someone likes it or not.
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"Truths Are The Roots To Trust"
People can have "opinions" about a lot of different things.
For example, if you say "In my opinion, chocolate ice cream tastes better than vanilla ice cream," then I couldn't legitimately tell you that your opinion is "wrong." Taste is a subjective quality, unique to each of our perspectives.
But suppose your said, "In my opinion the Earth is flat, is only 6000 years old, and sits on a fixed point around which the rest of the universe rotates once every twenty-four hours." This is an "opinion" about things which can be objectively proved (and you might be surprised at how common this opinion acutally is). As such, someone could legitimately tell you that your opinion is "wrong."
percivale
"and you might be surprised at how common this opinion acutally is" -
Really that common? I think that's one of the scariest things I've heard this week, LOL.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/fanaile-essence
But I was listening to Neal Boortz earlier this week, and he reported the following:
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WHY PEOPLE THINK CONSERVATIVES ARE IDIOTS
"Sadly ... many conservatives seem to have dedicated their lives to lending credence to the left's "conservatives are idiots" claim. You will remember several weeks ago I told you about one Georgia Republican (former Democrat) legislator whose campaign chairman sent out some memos and letters promoting legislation to outlaw the teaching of evolution in government schools. The letter referred the reader to the website of "The Fair Education Foundation, Inc." In this website --- and I'm not kidding you here --- you will learn that the Earth stands still in space ... not even rotating ... while the Sun and everything in the universe rotates around the earth every 24 hours. Think I'm kidding? Check it our for yourself." (http://www.fixedearth.com/)
Well .. there's more. Sunday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution tells us about another website, this one run by Andrew Schlafly, the son of Phyllis Schlafly. Conservapedia pushes the creationism theme with revelations that dinosaurs and humans roamed the Earth at the same time.[video] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6LZzVCpYDY) You'll also learn that atheism has led to a large increase in bestiality. But once again you'll learn that not only is the Earth standing still, but it's actually flat ... and sitting still in space while everything revolves around it.
Tell me .. how do you counter the "conservatives are ignorant" argument, and how do you manage to recruit more people to the cause of lower taxes, less government and more individual responsibility when you have people running around loose calling themselves conservatives, getting elected to office as conservatives, and running websites as conservatives all the while telling us that the earth does not spin on its axis and does not revolve around the Sun .. and that everything in the known universe revolves around the Earth?
If true conservatives really want to expand their philosophy and mount a sustained movement that just might save individualism, freedom and economic liberty --- they had better jettison these zealot nut-cases .... and FAST.
http://boortz.com/nuze/200703/03262007.html
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These people are real, and they are SCARY.
percivale
I think you are correct in assuming that an opinion can be wrong. Its called a misperception.
- Shawn