Poll: Can opinions be wrong?
- Thread starter Woodsey
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Yes.
For while we can have opinions of any and every subject, not all subjects are a matter of opinion.
Any opinion of something that is objectively measurable, or that is based on something objectively measurable, can be wrong. ('In my opinion these rock halos were caused by alpha radiation' ' And in my opinion by high-energy beta-radiation')
Purely subjective matters (strawberry tastes better than blueberry) are another deal.
For while we can have opinions of any and every subject, not all subjects are a matter of opinion.
Any opinion of something that is objectively measurable, or that is based on something objectively measurable, can be wrong. ('In my opinion these rock halos were caused by alpha radiation' ' And in my opinion by high-energy beta-radiation')
Purely subjective matters (strawberry tastes better than blueberry) are another deal.
A misinformed opinion is always wrong. Like this one person I know who believes fully that video games are a mindless source of entertainment, that you don't need to think at all. (This guy is a Nascar fan of all things...)
There is also this other person that's trying to tell me that the Zerg on starcraft is the easiest race to play. Easier for him maybe, but the truth is, all the races are pretty even on the battlefield.
There is also this other person that's trying to tell me that the Zerg on starcraft is the easiest race to play. Easier for him maybe, but the truth is, all the races are pretty even on the battlefield.
I think in this example the opinion is that you hate australia, which lets face it if you did it wouldn't be wrong. Thats your opinion, however your reasoning behind it is wrong. An opinion can't be wrong, the reasoning behind it can be though.Woodsey said:
Well the first definition I found
Opinion: a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty;
Therefore I am of the opinion that everyone holds legitimate opinions (when judged purely on the merits of them being opinions), however they sometimes don't check out when measured objectively against absolute truth (which is a bit of a fallacy, I know), moral standards or when compared to facts.
Opinion: a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty;
Therefore I am of the opinion that everyone holds legitimate opinions (when judged purely on the merits of them being opinions), however they sometimes don't check out when measured objectively against absolute truth (which is a bit of a fallacy, I know), moral standards or when compared to facts.
Opinions based on incorrect facts are "wrong" because the person would change their opinion once they learned the truth (unless they're crazy or their salary depends on not understanding the truth. *coughGlobalWarmingObjectionerscough*
There are also opinions that, while not based on incorrect facts, do not achieve the "best" outcome. And since everyone disagrees on what the "best" outcome is, everyone starts thinking other people are wrong. Is it the one that saves the most lives? Is it the "morally correct" one (and whose morals?)? Is it the one that makes the most economic sense?
There are also opinions that, while not based on incorrect facts, do not achieve the "best" outcome. And since everyone disagrees on what the "best" outcome is, everyone starts thinking other people are wrong. Is it the one that saves the most lives? Is it the "morally correct" one (and whose morals?)? Is it the one that makes the most economic sense?
Of course opinions can be wrong. That's why they're called 'opinions', which are usually completely different to facts.
If I said that HIM is the best band in the world, I'd be fooling noone but myself and the other HIM worshippers in the world.
[small]Okay, bad example.[/small]
If I said that HIM is the best band in the world, I'd be fooling noone but myself and the other HIM worshippers in the world.
[small]Okay, bad example.[/small]
If people pull crap out their asses for the sake of creating a shitstorm, then yes, their opinions are wrong. Kind of like someone saying "There's no such thing as a stupid question", as both the stupid question theory and the opinion can be challenged and debunked to the point of humiliation.
It depends. If someone is saying that they like or dislike something (a movie, game, book etc) and it is based on personal preferance then that is a perfect example of an opinion that cannot be wrong.
However if someone were to make an opinion about someone using blatantly false information (like misquotes or rumors as facts) then that can be classified as a 'wrong' opinion.
However if someone were to make an opinion about someone using blatantly false information (like misquotes or rumors as facts) then that can be classified as a 'wrong' opinion.
As many people have doubtlessly already explained, the answer is yes and no. Opinions themselves are, by very definition, about subjective matters and therefore cannot be right or wrong. People who say "well that's just your opinion/well it's my opinion so it can't be wrong" are however almost always saying that about a misconception or a conflict of facts which finds them on the side without empirical support for their argument.
If I have the opinion that gravity is a fictional construct fashioned by "the man" to keep us from our rightful place soaring through the sky, I am clearly a crazy person; gravity definitely exists, and I invite any skeptics to test it by walking off of high buildings, heh. You can have an opinion about whether something is "the best" or "the worst", but if you hold an opinion that an event happened at all? Yeah, not actually an opinion. If the thing you're arguing about exists in a environ wherein "the best" can be quantified by statistics, you are also not actually the holder of an opinion - which engine is the best engine is a far different question than which band is the best band.
Basically, anything you can be proven wrong about = not something where you can cite "It's my opinion!" and get away without looking stupid when somebody points out the facts are against you.
If I have the opinion that gravity is a fictional construct fashioned by "the man" to keep us from our rightful place soaring through the sky, I am clearly a crazy person; gravity definitely exists, and I invite any skeptics to test it by walking off of high buildings, heh. You can have an opinion about whether something is "the best" or "the worst", but if you hold an opinion that an event happened at all? Yeah, not actually an opinion. If the thing you're arguing about exists in a environ wherein "the best" can be quantified by statistics, you are also not actually the holder of an opinion - which engine is the best engine is a far different question than which band is the best band.
Basically, anything you can be proven wrong about = not something where you can cite "It's my opinion!" and get away without looking stupid when somebody points out the facts are against you.
To describe the depth of how much an opinion can be skewed based upon simple geography, you have to understand that in war-ravaged places in the middle east, America is despised for how awesome we are.
The outlook on freedom and how a country should function is opinion based. People in charge decide what rights a human being should have, and obviously there are drastic differences when you hop about the continents.
Not everyone agrees on what's right and wrong, vice and virtue.
We're just on another level of understanding. Just like my outlook on life is a little more complex than what an 8 yr old has to offer, it's the same as America compared to a third world country. The options of analogies are endless, but you see my point.
The outlook on freedom and how a country should function is opinion based. People in charge decide what rights a human being should have, and obviously there are drastic differences when you hop about the continents.
Not everyone agrees on what's right and wrong, vice and virtue.
We're just on another level of understanding. Just like my outlook on life is a little more complex than what an 8 yr old has to offer, it's the same as America compared to a third world country. The options of analogies are endless, but you see my point.
Yes, see the below XD
but back OT, then can be wrong if it's racist or there fact piled up to rival Mt. Everest against them
but then i can't get my head around why people like the 360 and its two main (and only real) titles.AvsJoe said:
but back OT, then can be wrong if it's racist or there fact piled up to rival Mt. Everest against them
No, but they cannot be right, either.
Opinions are based on subjective matters, and that might include subjective interpretations of "objective things".
If the person saying that actually believes that, then he believes his interpretation is valid enough to make an opinion. Similarly, opinions can be backed up by reasons or warrants that seem to be true but only because they give reasons why they can be true, not because they actually are. Opinions based on facts also do not have truth values because the opinion is still a subjective interpretation of that fact. As a hyperbole, I could say that I like China for invading Australia, but that would just be my opinion.
Thus, all in all, opinions do not have truth values of true or false by definition.
Opinions are based on subjective matters, and that might include subjective interpretations of "objective things".
If the person saying that actually believes that, then he believes his interpretation is valid enough to make an opinion. Similarly, opinions can be backed up by reasons or warrants that seem to be true but only because they give reasons why they can be true, not because they actually are. Opinions based on facts also do not have truth values because the opinion is still a subjective interpretation of that fact. As a hyperbole, I could say that I like China for invading Australia, but that would just be my opinion.
Thus, all in all, opinions do not have truth values of true or false by definition.
