"It's just my opinion"

[DracoSuave]

Everyone can hold an opinion.

'The earth is flat' =is= an opinion.

However, at no point does this justify holding -ignorant- opinions.

For your opinion to be reasonable and valid in a discourse on a subject, you should take the time to do basic research on that item, or possess experience relating to it.

Skepticism means that you examine and challenge opinions brought to you, and keep an open mind towards contradictory evidence. It is -not- an excuse for ignorantism... in fact, skepticism is completely -opposed- to ignorantism. If you are ignorant on a topic, you are by definition, not a skeptic, as you are not examining nor challenging information.

 

[Amnestic]

Alright now I just think your an idiot.

*SUPER FACEPALM OF ULTIMATE JUSTICE*

Irony, oh how entertaining it is.

Teeheehee! I'm right with you there. In fact, I'll help you with that facepalm, because doing it yourself would never be strong enough to convey the right amount of disgust.

You guys clearly didn't get what I was saying. I said he was an idiot becuase he doens't understand the defenitions of the words he's tossing around. Opinion is not a synonym for belief, it's a very similar word, but not a synonym. Somebody mentioned that I can't grasp analogies, they were wrong, I understand that it was an analogy, it was just a very poor one because it wasn't an opinion, like I said. It's not like I called him an idiot because I think he believes the world is flat.

Sigh. [http://www.wikihow.com/Use-You%27re-and-Your] I didn't think that needed to be explained.

 

[Eternal_24]

TL;DR but that's just my opinion.

It's also disrespectful.

Get over it.

People use "it's just my opinion" so that dumb fucks don't reply back saying "yeah but that's just your opinion".

 

[Maze1125]

Well you've accepted that it is possible for an opinion to be wrong. Things don't fall neatly into categories of "proven facts" and "subjective opinions". Right now, you can hold a range of different reasonable opinions on, say, what dark matter is, but in fifty years time when we know what dark matter is your opinion, so reasonable in 2009, could just be plain wrong. And if it's wrong in 2059, it was wrong all along.

Having an opinion on dark matter is a completely different sense of the word "opinion".

Opinions of that sort can be better than each other and the only way everyone is entitled to that sort of opinion is by law, not by philosophical justice.

Besides the only opinions that can't right or wrong are ones like "I like blue more than red", "I think carrots taste awful". Basically, only thing subjective is what causes you enjoyment or displeasure.

Those aren't opinions.
"Blue is better than red." and "Carrots taste awful." are opinions.
"I like blue more than red" and "I think carrots taste awful" are true/false statements about your own opinions.

However, opinions like "homosexuality is wrong" can totally be wrong... It's actually one of the most annoying things about the world that people think ethics are subjective (while of course at the same time secretely thinking they are the only one right). Of course that's not true.

The majority of philosophers of meta-ethics consider morality to be subjective.
I'd like to see your proof that they are "of course" wrong.

 

[Ninja_X]

Everyone can hold an opinion.

'The earth is flat' =is= an opinion.

Wrong actually. An opinion by definition, cannot be proved wrong.

For example, the sky is pink in my opinion is wrong.

Pink is a nice color IS an opinion because it varies from person to person and you can't disprove it.

 

[Lexodus]

Alright now I just think your an idiot.

*SUPER FACEPALM OF ULTIMATE JUSTICE*

Irony, oh how entertaining it is.

Teeheehee! I'm right with you there. In fact, I'll help you with that facepalm, because doing it yourself would never be strong enough to convey the right amount of disgust.

You guys clearly didn't get what I was saying. I said he was an idiot becuase he doens't understand the defenitions of the words he's tossing around. Opinion is not a synonym for belief, it's a very similar word, but not a synonym. Somebody mentioned that I can't grasp analogies, they were wrong, I understand that it was an analogy, it was just a very poor one because it wasn't an opinion, like I said. It's not like I called him an idiot because I think he believes the world is flat.

You missed our 'subtlety', obviously. What we were saying is that you called him an idiot and, in the same sentence, misspelled the word "you're". At least leave the spelling mistakes until AFTER you've finished insulting somebody's styoopiditee.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

Alright now I just think your an idiot.

*SUPER FACEPALM OF ULTIMATE JUSTICE*

Irony, oh how entertaining it is.

Teeheehee! I'm right with you there. In fact, I'll help you with that facepalm, because doing it yourself would never be strong enough to convey the right amount of disgust.

You guys clearly didn't get what I was saying. I said he was an idiot becuase he doens't understand the defenitions of the words he's tossing around. Opinion is not a synonym for belief, it's a very similar word, but not a synonym. Somebody mentioned that I can't grasp analogies, they were wrong, I understand that it was an analogy, it was just a very poor one because it wasn't an opinion, like I said. It's not like I called him an idiot because I think he believes the world is flat.

Sigh. [http://www.wikihow.com/Use-You%27re-and-Your] I didn't think that needed to be explained.

Ah, I'm sorry, I assumed you weren't talking about my lack of apostraphe. In any case, implying that I'm an idiot because there are minor grammatical errors in my posts is hardly...productive.

 

[Florion]

I guess you have to consider two types of opinion. I agree that it's annoying and idiotic when people try to end a discussion about something based around objective facts with "well that's just my opinion" because if an opinion is based on untrue "facts" then it's just plain wrong. But opinions about subjective things, things that affect everyone in a different way, I think it's fine to agree to disagree. Maybe I like jazz. Maybe you don't like jazz, and you think that it is bad. It's not necessarily bad just because you think so, because maybe I hear something "good" in it. If I could make you somehow experience the goodness that I hear, perhaps you would change your opinion. But since this is an unlikely thing to happen ? after all, you experience your world in a way that probably appeals to you ? we can just agree to disagree.

 

[Lexodus]

TL;DR but that's just my opinion.

It's also disrespectful.

Get over it.

People use "it's just my opinion" so that dumb fucks don't reply back saying "yeah but that's just your opinion".

That's your opinion. My opinion is that they use 'It's just my opinion" to weasel out of an argument once they've started to lose, or realise their mistake but don't want to admit it as that would mean admitting that somebody else knew more about something than they did.

 

[Maze1125]

I'll reword my first post.
The problem here is equivocation.

The statement "It's just my opinion and everyone is entitled to an opinion." is only justified on matters that are purely subjective, and the word "opinion" can be used to refer to such matters.

People then go on from that and think that because "It's just my opinion" is justified using that sense of the word "opinion" it is still justified when using the more general sense of the word meaning "what I think".

 

[Lexodus]

Alright now I just think your an idiot.

*SUPER FACEPALM OF ULTIMATE JUSTICE*

Irony, oh how entertaining it is.

Teeheehee! I'm right with you there. In fact, I'll help you with that facepalm, because doing it yourself would never be strong enough to convey the right amount of disgust.

You guys clearly didn't get what I was saying. I said he was an idiot becuase he doens't understand the defenitions of the words he's tossing around. Opinion is not a synonym for belief, it's a very similar word, but not a synonym. Somebody mentioned that I can't grasp analogies, they were wrong, I understand that it was an analogy, it was just a very poor one because it wasn't an opinion, like I said. It's not like I called him an idiot because I think he believes the world is flat.

Sigh. [http://www.wikihow.com/Use-You%27re-and-Your] I didn't think that needed to be explained.

Ah, I'm sorry, I assumed you weren't talking about my lack of apostraphe. In any case, implying that I'm an idiot because there are minor grammatical errors in my posts is hardly...productive.

Firstly, it's 'apostrophe'. Secondly... [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Want_of_a_Nail_(proverb)]

 

[Rachmaninov]

If we were to genuinely accept that all opinions are equally valid, then all discussion is rendered irrelevant, how can we possibly discuss the merits of my position versus your position if both positions are perfectly correct just because we hold them?.

Both opinions can be equally valid regardless of whether or not they are correct, since all anyone has is a theory, unless it's fact. If you are talking about fact, in which case, both opinions are equally irrelevant.

If you have ever thought that somebody else is wrong about anything then you have acknowledged that thier opinion is not equally valid with yours. Everyone implicitly accepts that some opinions are more valid than others.

And they think you're wrong too, so until one is proven, then you're both equal.

Two people with equally valid opinions dicuss something so they can form their own opinion better, and possibly even change their opinion. People aren't omniscient, so there's some things about subjects that you just won't have thought of, or didn't know. Hearing other peoples opinions can be eye opening, and it allows you to make sure you're not talking out of your ass when you voice your own opinion.

No one's opinion is wrong, unless it's an opinion which disagrees with fact. All else is just theory.

 

[Axeli]

The problem is people misusing the word "opinion" to mean "what I think about a fact".
"Blue is a nice colour." is an opinion.
"The Earth is flat." is not an opinion, it is simply wrong.

I actually don't see that there's as clear a distinction as you're suggesting, as I said in an earlier post, things don't just neatly fall into categories of right/wrong hard facts and subjective opinions. It's not obvious where you should draw the line between the two, and I'd argue that there isn't really any difference at all. They're both opinions, one is just generally agreed to be a closed issue, whereas the question of the niceness of blue remains open.

Besides the only opinions that can't right or wrong are ones like "I like blue more than red", "I think carrots taste awful". Basically, only thing subjective is what causes you enjoyment or displeasure.

However, opinions like "homosexuality is wrong" can totally be wrong... It's actually one of the most annoying things about the world that people think ethics are subjective (while of course at the same time secretely thinking they are the only one right). Of course that's not true.

What makes you think that "homosexuality is wrong" can be wrong but "carrots taste awful" can't be? The only difference is you consider (rightly, in my opinion) the issue of homosexuality being right or wrong is pretty much decided, whereas the issue of the tastiness of carrots isn't.

Because while the taste is pretty much same to everyone, the reaction to it inside brain can be different for everyone. It's actually quite simple neuro-science when you think about it; Each brain can react slightly differently to the same stimulus. We simply lump the reactions to either like or not-like.

I.e. it's a matter of fact that you can't resolve whether carrot is always tasty or not, because "taste" is simply stimulation that each brain reacts to in its own way.

As for the homosexuality being OK... Well, it's not okay because majority decided so, but despite what majority thinks.

 

[Zamn]

A lot of people are throwing around this idea that there are different sorts of opinions and some can be wrong while others cannot. I have yet to see anyone come up with a distinction between the two, what is it essentially that differentiates between these two categories of opinion? My argument is that there is no distinction. Any opinion can be right or wrong, the only difference is that in some cases you can tell whether it's right or wrong, or at least forsee being able to tell, and in others you can't.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I always hate it when people use that line. Whenever you debate someone they usually say that and think it's a way out of them admitting a "defeat".

Just because this is your opinion does not mean I have no right to criticize it. Just because it's your opinion does not mean you have the right to enforce it on others without evidence on why it should be enforced. Just because it's your opinion does not mean it's not wrong. And I could go on forever but I will not.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

Alright now I just think your an idiot.

*SUPER FACEPALM OF ULTIMATE JUSTICE*

Irony, oh how entertaining it is.

Teeheehee! I'm right with you there. In fact, I'll help you with that facepalm, because doing it yourself would never be strong enough to convey the right amount of disgust.

You guys clearly didn't get what I was saying. I said he was an idiot becuase he doens't understand the defenitions of the words he's tossing around. Opinion is not a synonym for belief, it's a very similar word, but not a synonym. Somebody mentioned that I can't grasp analogies, they were wrong, I understand that it was an analogy, it was just a very poor one because it wasn't an opinion, like I said. It's not like I called him an idiot because I think he believes the world is flat.

Sigh. [http://www.wikihow.com/Use-You%27re-and-Your] I didn't think that needed to be explained.

Ah, I'm sorry, I assumed you weren't talking about my lack of apostraphe. In any case, implying that I'm an idiot because there are minor grammatical errors in my posts is hardly...productive.

Firstly, it's 'apostrophe'. Secondly... [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Want_of_a_Nail_(proverb)]

Thanks for the correction. As for the second part, I'm not dissputing the intelligence of old proverbs... but it's a worthless reference in this case. My lack of apostrophe had no more consequences than a few quoted posts and a misunderstanding on my part. While a kingdom may have fallen for the want of a horseshoe nail, this thread will not be derailed for the lack of an apostrophe.

 

[Maze1125]

A lot of people are throwing around this idea that there are different sorts of opinions and some can be wrong while others cannot. I have yet to see anyone come up with a distinction between the two, what is it essentially that differentiates between these two categories of opinion? My argument is that there is no distinction. Any opinion can be right or wrong, the only difference is that in some cases you can tell whether it's right or wrong, or at least forsee being able to tell, and in others you can't.

I'm not arguing there are two types of opinion.
I'm arguing that there are two definitions of the word "opinion", which there are:

1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

2 is where the statement "It's just my opinion." is justified.
But with 1, it is not.

 

[Eternal_24]

TL;DR but that's just my opinion.

It's also disrespectful.

Get over it.

People use "it's just my opinion" so that dumb fucks don't reply back saying "yeah but that's just your opinion".

That's your opinion. My opinion is that they use 'It's just my opinion" to weasel out of an argument once they've started to lose, or realise their mistake but don't want to admit it as that would mean admitting that somebody else knew more about something than they did.

And it's just my opinion that you're blatantly doing nothing more than trying to start an argument now to satisfy your ego.

 

[Diplodocus462]

Very eloquently put, Zamn. That phrase and equivalent phrases also infuriate me when they are used, particularly because they are almost invariably used by the opponent when they can no longer keep up with the argument, rather than as some defence of subjectivism over objectivism. People are indeed entitled to hold an opinion, but are not entitled to see it shielded from criticism.

However, you have to remember this: While we might enter into arguments like Socrates did in the hope of improving ourselves and others, searching for truth, and the optimal solutions to problems, most people enter into arguments because they like being right, and showing their opponent to be wrong and stupid. These people, when they can see that they are not going to be able to satisfy this pathetic, juvenile urge, since their opponent is obviously a sophisticated one with a well thought out position, will simply try to end the argument neutrally (in their eyes) as quickly as possible. Thus the 'my, opinion, you opinion' line. At this stage there is likely no point bothering to argue on, and you will likely find it even more futile to argue about whether 'my opinion, your opinion' is a valid defence. You should consider your arguer beyond rational debate at that stage, you have essentially won the argument at that stage, and any changing of minds that you were going to do has already happened and will not proceed any further.

If you have an intelligent audience to the argument, however, feel free to explain to the audience the weaknesses of opinions as arguments. Some of them may yet be convinced.

In summary, remember that 'my opinion, your opinion' is just a mark of a poor thinker who is not having a reasonable debate anyway. It infuriates me too, especially when the outcome of the argument is important to me.

 

[Bigeyez]

o⋅pin⋅ion  /əˈpɪnyən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-pin-yuhn]

?noun 1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.
3. the formal expression of a professional judgment: to ask for a second medical opinion.
4. Law. the formal statement by a judge or court of the reasoning and the principles of law used in reaching a decision of a case.
5. a judgment or estimate of a person or thing with respect to character, merit, etc.: to forfeit someone's good opinion.
6. a favorable estimate; esteem: I haven't much of an opinion of him.

"Blue is a pretty color" Is an opinion I have that cannot be proven/disproven.

An opinion by it's very definition (^^^^^) cannot be proven/disproven.

You say opinions can be proven wrong? Give me an example of an opinion that can be proven wrong and I'll show you someting that isn't really an opinion.