By Fatma Bujsaim (@FatmaBujsaim)
I have recently been dealing with a lot of stubborn people. Some of them are easy to deal with while others are extremely difficult. There is one person in particular that was very difficult to deal with; not only because she was stubborn, but also because she mixes between a fact and an opinion.
I was out with this friend shopping when I noticed her habit; she insisted that a shirt or a pair of pants look nice and I disagreed. She snapped and insisted that they are nice. We started arguing and I told her it is a matter of opinion and I do not like it; if she does, then she should go ahead and buy it. She did buy it but for the rest of the day (and all the other days I went out shopping with her), she insisted that whatever she liked was nice as if she was stating a fact.
It might be a fact for her, in her own mind. But when other people get involved the issue shifts from a “fact” in her terms to an “ opinion”. The problem is, people sometimes mistake an opinion for a fact and when they come to the realization that an opinion is an opinion, they cannot accept what others might say/think.
On the one hand, a fact is defined as something that happened or exists. It is reality and the truth. For example: the people of Somalia are living in starvation. This is a fact because it is what is really happening in Somalia. A simpler example: the shirt is blue. It is a simple fact that we cannot change; if it is blue we cannot say it is green because it is blue.
On the other hand, the dictionary defines an opinion as “a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.” So it is basically a person’s view/attitude towards something based on their character. For example: I like this shirt or I think this shirt is nice. These two statements are complete opinions that anyone can disagree with.
People come from different backgrounds and have different personalities. Even if they had the same background, they will still have different personalities and these differences are what shape different opinions. If everyone had the exact same opinion then we would not move forward in life and technology/science would not develop as fast as it does now; it might not develop at all.
I must admit, I am stubborn myself When I find people who do not agree with my opinion I try to argue and convince them. But that does not mean I should impose my opinion on them. If they still do not believe in it then that is just their choice and I should respect their opinion. And as Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “there are as many opinions as there are experts.”
Sail eMagazine’s 18th Issue – September 2011
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Just Another Undergrad – Society of Tomorrow – The First Years Last Forever
The Mind’s Eye – To the Point – Too Blunt for Words – Words, Observations, and Ramblings
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Very interesting article. I'm doing research on Arabic and English-language papers in the UAE and I'm finding that Arabic language papers tend to mix opinion with fact more than their counterparts. Perhaps part of the equation?
I think a lot of people still don't understand the difference between an opinion and a fact; some lack the knowledge of how to use terms such as "in my opinion," or "I think" because (maybe) they didn't come across people who actually use them.
Your research sounds very interesting, please do share your findings once you're done.
Fatma
That was a good read, and true unfortunately, people do mix both. I guess the smarter ones should present it in a more graspable manner (lol if that is a word!). well, What I am saying is, that trying to convice people that their facts are infact an opinion, should be given t them in doses … and instead of leaving them at it, we should try to change the way everyone perceives these two words. Thanks for this. :)
Subscribed to your blog, thanks