Poll: Can opinions be wrong?

[Aesthetical Quietus]

It depends on the opinion in question. If the opinion is in fact their interpretation of a fact, then yes. But something like having an opinion that a certain show is good or not, can not be.

 

[Thurmer]

what if your opinion is that opinions can be wrong?

 

[Jared]

Opinions can be wrong, sometimes, people give there msot honest answer, and, therefore there opinions is wrong.

When it comes to opinions, you always need to be as honest as you can

 

[Hyper-space]

This is something I often think about - especially when I'm on these forums - as it often results in debates becoming arguments. And I'm guessing that most people's gut reaction to the question will be, "no, of course they can't."

"Well that's just my opinion," seems to have become a get-out-of-jail-free-card for anyone from racists to the mythical beings that say they don't like Mafia (it's OK my friends, they're not real). In some cases that's a perfectly valid response when talking about an opinion on something subjective (a film/game/book, etc.) but in other instances that doesn't work.

If I said I hate Australia because they invaded China, then my opinion is wrong; that never happened (at least, I don't think it did...) and so my opinion is based on a false fact which in turn makes my opinion wrong.

So to me, an opinion can easily be wrong - of course, that's just my opinion.

Does anyone agree or disagree?

EDIT: This has come up quite a few times now, and I think that a far better word to use is "invalid" as opposed to "wrong".

I agree whole-heartedly. Opinions should always be related to something subjective, not objective for that is to ignore reality.

 

[Hlain]

Opinions are always personal subjective thoughts, so no; they can't be wrong. Saying that all are stupid/ugly/non-trustworthy can be wrong, but then such a statement isn't an opinion. It's just a fact, which can be right or wrong. If you say "I don't like " is an opinion, and can therefore not be wrong, but the facts which that opinion is based upon can be wrong.
If you think abuot it, an opinion is just a matter of personal taste and preferences, and those can't be "wrong", since there are no rules about preferences.

 

[Mr.Napier]

If the person is dumb enough yes opinions can indeed be wrong.

 

[Akalistos]

An opinion cannot be wrong in my eyes, because I believe an opinion is not factual. For example, if someone said "Justin Beiber isn't an insufferable little prick" then I would disagree, but there is no right or wrong regarding this because there is no factual and scientific way to measure music. It DOES matter how they got it - if someone says "in my opinion America shouldn't have free healthcare because of x[/]" for example, then fair play to them, unless X is false - in which case, they should be corrected. But I wouldn't say this opinion is wrong, it's simply based on the information they had received.

That open a whole new way of posting: "Your opinion is wrong so I win." Seriously, opinion on taste, may it be political, food or game cannot be debated. But beside them, all opinions are base on facts... including yours. So, How many "wrong opinions" do you think exist?

People can have the opinion that the earth is the centre of the universe, and that's fucking wrong.

If someone says something that directly contradicts a proven fact, such as "in my opinion the sky is red" then I believe this doesn't count as an opinion but rather a false statement, unless they can provide enough evidence for this to become a reasonable thing to believe. If they give so much evidence that they completely prove the sky is, in fact, red, then this no longer remains an opinion but instead becomes a scientific fact.

Not all opinions are in fact opinions. Here's a example: Many people i heard say that ethnicity stole the job of "real" citizens.(I'm gonna get heat for that one, so please, if you think there a better way to say it...) That may be, there are given equal right to search and postulate on a job, and like all, if they have experience or can do it better the boss would be mad not to hire them. So yes, in many domain, they are more "outsiders" then "insiders". That's a fact, but can they be right? No! They just don't have the qualifications... even if some of the employers actually do it because they get compensation from the government. The fact in their favor tho.

Or at least, that's my opinion on the matter. To put it bluntly, an opinion cannot be something that you can prove or disprove.

I hope i disprove yours.

 

[PatrickXD]

There is a difference between opinion and belief. I don't think opinions can be wrong. In terms of the example, the opinion was not liking Australia, the belief that Australia invaded China was wrong. It's a tricky link, however, as belief can change opinion.

 

[Shivarage]

You have two options

1. all opinions are right because they are different

2. all opinions are wrong because they are different

so basically, if you cant accept all opinions as they are then keep yours to yourself

 

[Woodsey]

Even If It's wrong It's still an opinion, In your mind the evil Austrailian attack force invaded the poor Chinese and their pitiful defenses. Now this may be because you heard something wrong on the news as a child, or misunderstood some facts. But even though it has no bearing on real world events, It's still your aopinion based on what you know. And that's an opinion by definition, a decision on something you make based on the situation.

A good point, but if that opinion is so directly linked to that one event that I believed to have happened but never did, then would you agree my opinion is invalid (as opposed to wrong)?

That seems to have come up with quite a few people, and I think "wrong" was the wrong word to use.

 

[Ham_authority95]

I think it depends on the question.

If the question is something like "What is the best musical group" than it can't really be right or wrong.

But if the question is something like "what is the capitol of your country" than it can only be right or wrong.

 

[Vaer]

Opinions can be wrong and are more often then not, your opinions cand be right for you but they can just as well be wrong for everyone else so I guess most opinions are usually both right and wrong at the same time, then there are opinions that are just fully wrong and I'll give an example : let's say you are of the opinion that a certain building should be build in a certain way, however the way you think it should be build would make it unsafe, you may think you're right but that doesn't change the fact that you're wrong (not very explicit I know, but it works as an example )

An example of an opinion being both right and wrong would be when let's say there's a movie/game/book or whatever and there isn't anything fundamentally wrong with it but you may not like it your opinion of not liking it for whatever reason is perfectly right for you, however it might be wrong for someone else.

 

[Estelindis]

There are different kinds of opinions. Some kinds can't be wrong, particularly when it comes to things like art. A certain kind of music or film can be the "best" for a certain value of "best" - and the fact that it's my value, and yours is different, doesn't make me or you right or wrong. Some people would only use the word "opinion" for this kind of thing. In that case, an opinion can't be wrong. But if, like most people, "opinion" is simply used to mean "what a person thinks," then yes, of course, it can be wrong. I can sincerely believe/think that something that is factually incorrect is actually correct, in which case my opinion is mistaken.

 

[stiver]

Yes/no. You have the right to your own opinion, not your own facts.

 

[TheEnglishman]

Yes, whilst normally opinions are a completly subjective concept realtive to each individual, if it strays into their realm of actual facts and abandons common sense than yes, an opinion can be wrong.

 

[RJ Dalton]

Opinions can, and most often are, wrong. Opinions don't have to be based on anything other than the random neural firings of an individual and exist largely independent of such things as fact and reality.

 

[blindthrall]

I don't think opinions can be right, as they're divorced from fact. If you have an opinion that's correct, it's a fact, even if you don't know it is. Opinion until proven otherwise.

 

[stiver]

I can have the opinion that the xbox is the best console, but I can't have the opinion it is the best selling one ever. The first one is a subjective opinion, and the second isn't an opinion but has an actual measurable value that would prove me wrong.

 

[Something Amyss]

Yes, for pretty much the initial reasoning given.

 

[saruto]

If I was to say 'my opinion is that a Bengal tiger is an insect' would that be right or valid?