Poll: Can an opinion be wrong?

[EeveeElectro]

I think the subject of the opinion can be wrong, such as "All elderly people should be killed at 60" or something, but opinions themselves can be neither right nor wrong.

 

[dragonslayer32]

if its based on false information it can be wrong

Then it isn't an opinion

Yes, they can. Look at Hitler's opinion on the Jews.

You're definition of opinion is wrong. Or is that just my opinion?

You sir, have just blown my mind. Although, in my opinion, my definition of opinion is just fine.

 

[LordSphinx]

The value of an opinion is measured in the veracity of its arguments. If you can't defend your opinion, it isn't worth anything. If, in a debate, you can't deny the value of the other's arguments, then you must either admit that you are not as knowledgeable/grounded on the subject as he is, or simply adopt his way of thinking, as it is superior to your own.

It is possible, however, for two opinions to be of equal value, if they both have strenghts and weaknesses, and then it is a matter of choice and personal values over logic.

Calling something an opinion doesn't protect it from being judged by others. And having an opinion doesn't protect you from being judged based on it, as our opinions is part of what define each of us.

 

[Mr Mc Twiggy]

In my view (how ironic) opinions are wrong if they are based on untrue or misinformed evidence.

 

[rokkolpo]

many MANY people seem to forget that lying and opinions are two entirely different things.

an opinion can't be wrong, neither can it be right.

 

[AssassinJoe]

In my opinion, yes.

(Someone probably already made that joke but I don't care.)

 

[Ascarus]

No, they can not. They can NOT be proven true or false, and they are completely made up.

I would argue it depends on how the opinion is presented. Many people present opinions as facts. Those representations can be wrong.

 

[C95J]

It depends, if the person's opinion is blatantly the truth, supported by facts, and he is only saying it to be ignorant, then yes, an opinion can be wrong. In all other cases, no, it can not.

 

[Micah Weil]

I could go with the whole "misinformed/uninformed" argument, or with the whole "racism" thing...but ultimately, they're moot arguments.

Every single opinion out there is wrong, simply because there is always going to be someone there to tell you that your opinion is wrong. If we run under the assumption that no opinions are wrong, then the opinion that your opinion (x) is wrong is correct, making your opinion wrong.

...
...Catch-22 anyone?

 

[Individuo]

It depends on what the opinion is based on. If the opinion is based on hard fact than most certainly is true. If it's based on falsities then the opinion may well be wrong.

 

[SilverUchiha]

Of course they can. If your opinion is that one race is inferior to another, your opinion is wrong.

white people took over most of the world at one point world and invented most things, Asians made every thing the white man made better. black people are good at professional sports and native Americans were the first to use 0 in math. different but defendantly equal across the bord.

You forgot about the blue people... and aliens... and what about the Latino community?

OT: Opinions themselves cannot be wrong because they are not a fact, but a statement based off information which may or may not be wrong. Simply saying a false statement doesn't mean you have a wrong opinion, it just means you're an idiot of thinking that counts as an opinion.

 

[sageoftruth]

Yes, it can be wrong. The important thing is that the speaker acknowledged the possibility of being wrong himself/herself.

 

[sageoftruth]

If I feel the need to say "that's stupid" in response to your opinion, then it is wrong.

That's my opinion anyway.

Than I accept your opinion as an opinion good sir.

 

[Imat]

Of course they can. If your opinion is that one race is inferior to another, your opinion is wrong.

Well, depends on what you mean by inferior. Overall, yeah, that opinion'd be wrong. However, races have both advantages and disadvantages. If every race in an rpg had the same stats, would anybody ever pick anything but dwarf? The answer is no, no they would not. Real world example: Being a white male in the US puts you in the "majority," with access to exclusive clubs just by being you, but it also means you're less likely to get a job (Unless it truly is based on merit, then its anybody's game), less likely to get scholarships for college, etc. Advantages and Disadvantages, but no character creation screen for you.

your definition of majority is wrong, majority = 50%

That's why its in quotes. Yet even though we aren't the majority, being the "majority" is a common assumption.

 

[Imat]

Of course they can. If your opinion is that one race is inferior to another, your opinion is wrong.

Well, depends on what you mean by inferior. Overall, yeah, that opinion'd be wrong. However, races have both advantages and disadvantages. If every race in an rpg had the same stats, would anybody ever pick anything but dwarf? The answer is no, no they would not. Real world example: Being a white male in the US puts you in the "majority," with access to exclusive clubs just by being you, but it also means you're less likely to get a job (Unless it truly is based on merit, then its anybody's game), less likely to get scholarships for college, etc. Advantages and Disadvantages, but no character creation screen for you.

Correction then: one race is not inherently inferior to another.

I agree with that.

 

[Marowit]

Yes, they can be wrong.

There have been several responses that have already pointed out how (racial, scientific, etc...).

Having an opinion on Coke vs. Pepsi is one thing. Having an opinion on race, etc, are things that can be proven wrong.

 

[FalloutJack]

Simple enough, can an opinion be wrong?

By definition, opinion is not fact, and thus cannot be PROVEN true.
Yet when "discussion" happens among us (usually around the internet)usually about things of mere opinions I see many people (instead of justifying their opinions) dis-justify (you get what I mean) other people's opinions. Is this the right way to go about discussion? Is there ever really a "winner" in these discussions?

Just because people put "My opinion is" in front of something doesn't actually make it a opinion.

Take this into account. Although the above is just an opinion...or is it?

Hoo boy. Lemme tell you, some conversations arejust minefields of discussion threatening to go bad. An opinion works thusly... (And no, this is NOT an opinion. This could be construed as a reasonable deconstruction.)

A fact is truth. Not their truth or your truth. Just THE truth. It means that you or anyone else can be wrong if it is not this. Bear that in mind. (Also, this has nothing to do with 'truthiness'.)

A factual-based opinion is a logical construct created from what is known to be the truth, which may turn out to be the truth if/when the proof bears it all out.

A personal opinion is the one where someone's own view, which may or may not be shared by others, is put forth. This is something that is perceived as maybe true, but is not known to be true per se. Also, majority rule does not make it true. It makes it popular.

A popular opinion is something that lots of people believe, whether it is the truth or not. Ergo, if lots of people believe that the Earth is the center of the universe, I believe Mr. Galileo has a surprise for you. The opinions of others to believe in a wrong thing is just an upset of Bloodymindium, not the truth.

An exercise in post-modernism is to formulate a truth from a non-truth, as with the notion that Spinal Tap was a fictional band from a mockumentary called This is Spinal Tap, and then years later a real band with their name and even song-titles shows up. This doesn't mean you get to create the truth by ignoring reality and just wishing for things. (Not unless you actually want to create your own band or something.)

And finally, you have an out-and-out lie, a total fabrication, A deliberate falsehood. Many people tend to believe lies for varying reasons. In most cases, this makes alot of trouble in the world, but that's a can of worms all on its own.

Why did I say all this? Eh, because the nature of facts VS opinions are sometimes seen in too black-and-white a perspective. Your best bet is to take everything with a grain of salt and double-check what you know.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

It depends.

If somone were to say, "it is my opinion that I am 6ft tall", but he's not, the yes, his opinion is wrong.

Of course, that's not really an opinion. Or is that an opinion in it'self?

OH SHI- *rip in timespace fabric*

 

[Hap2]

Yes, an opinion can be wrong if the reasoning behind is is inherently flawed.

 

[kouriichi]

Yup. It may be what you think, but that doesnt mean your right xD