Few people seem to understand exactly what an opinion is.
While you shouldn’t just take my word for it, you also shouldn’t waste your time trying to factcheck it—It’s just my opinion. To paraphrase Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster, it’s just a personal view or appraisal; it’s my belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty; it’s my view, judgment, or appraisal formed in my mind about this particular matter.
Opinions form when there is uncertainty; when all the relevant facts have not been considered or cannot actually be considered; when absolute truth doesn’t seem apparent.
And generally speaking, the quality of those opinions degrades when the uncertainty is greater; when the relevant facts are fewer; when absolute truth is less apparent.
The quality of opinions degrades further when they are based on other opinions. And it likely degrades even more when they are based on opinions that are not ours. In the latter case, the degradation, I think, is so great that it leaves me with the opinion that opinions based on the opinions of others are, at worst, not even opinions, and, at best, merely others’ opinions disguising themselves as our own.
But what happens when we confuse others’ opinions as our own?
It is possible that we could be inadvertently convincing ourselves that we are thinking through things more thoroughly than we actually are. It is possible that we could be assimilating opinions that might not be thought out as thoroughly as our original ones actually would be. And it also is possible that the more readily we absorb others’ opinions as our own, the harder it can be to perform the critical task of differentiating between opinions and facts. Consider: When an original opinion is “formed in the mind,” it is harder to mistake it for a fact because of our keener awareness of all the observations and considerations of the various facts and/or opinions leading up to the formation of that opinion.
None of this, however, is intended to undermine the value of opinion. I actually love hearing others’ opinions almost as much as I love sharing mine! I only worry about unoriginal opinions running amok in a society that already seems ultra opinionated.
Now think about one of society’s most critical sources of opinions: the news.
The raw, objective news around us can help us form good, high-quality, original opinions about societal, economic and political topics.
But trying to process the raw, objective news around us can be overwhelming; it’s been aptly likened to trying to take a sip of water from a fire hydrant. So consequently, we tend to turn to opinion pieces and talk radio to help us manage the flow of what’s important/relevant and what isn’t.
But at what cost?
To what extent do we allow others’ opinions on the news to affect us?
I’ve caught myself reading an opinion piece or listening to talk radio, and then immediately thinking to myself: This probably is the way I ought to think and feel about this issue. But isn’t that too much outsourcing independent thought and original opinion?
Some opinion writers and talk show hosts seemingly get carried away and present their opinions in a way that makes it seem like their opinions, even on trivia, ought to become ours as well.
Whatever the topic is, beware of others’ opinions disguising themselves as your own. Beware of confusing others’ opinions as your own.
Your best opinions aren’t those based on opinions from the experts. Rather, they are those based on facts from the experts—but formed as opinions in your own mind. The more certainty there is; the more relevant facts there are; the more absolute truth is apparent; the greater the quality of our opinions.
I’d love to hear your opinion on this particular topic.
It’s so easy to get caught up in what others think and mistake it for our own beliefs. This text really made me reflect on how often I might be doing that without even realizing it. I wonder if it’s a natural human tendency or something we can unlearn with practice. Do you think social media amplifies this issue, or is it just a part of human nature? I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to stay true to oneself in a world full of opinions. Maybe there’s a balance between being open to others’ ideas and not losing your own voice. What’s your take on this?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions! I think it is indeed a natural human tendency to get caught up in what others think and mistake it for our own beliefs. and yes, I think that that social media has amplified the issue. Original thoughts and opinions are not easy to formulate. They take effort. They take courage. I think that the average person would rather not put in too much of the effort required. Also, I think that the average person is not willing to subject themselves to possible embarrassment, should their original thoughts and opinions be deemed by others as not thoughtful/insightful/intelligent enough. They would rather wait for others’ opinions first before they dare utter theirs. And perhaps without realizing it, they outsource too much of the opinion formulation work.
Politics has also exacerbated the problem, I think. Some people seem to think that, because they are affiliated with a certain entity, they MUST think a certain way and feel a certain way. (An example that jumps to mind right away is Elon Musk. I’ve recently completed reading his biography by Walter Isaacson. Based on what I’ve read in the book, and based on what you might find online, some people simply don’t want him to have his own opinions. …)
I also think that the other problem is that talk radio and opinion articles (especially on politics, societal and economic topics) is big business. So striking that balance—which we all need—is much harder than it ought to be. What has helped me is tuning out certain voices for long periods of time. Perhaps the biggest help for me is that I have established certain values/principles I live by. Those never change. For example, I have already formed strong thoughts/opinions about debt in general. They may not be anything that I benefit from contrary thoughts/opinions. But I may not know enough about how to resolve certain debt problems. I’ll then try to be more open to others’ ideas. But it’s certainly not easy, for sure. That is, staying tru to yourself, being balanced, and being open to others’ opinions, and being persuadable, etc. Perhaps the main key iy is being AWARE of the tendencies.
This text really makes me think about how often we unconsciously adopt opinions around us. I’ve caught myself agreeing with others just to avoid conflict, but it’s so important to question where our beliefs truly stem from. How do you manage to stay true to your own voice in a world full of influences? It seems like self-awareness and reflection are key, but I wonder if there are specific practices that work best. Journaling has been helpful for me, but I’m curious if others have found different strategies effective. Do you ever feel like you’ve mistaken someone else’s opinion for your own? It’s such a subtle yet powerful thing to reflect on. How do you consciously separate your thoughts from external noise in your daily life? I’d love to hear your perspective on this—it feels like a conversation more people should be having.
This text really made me think about how often I might be influenced by others without even realizing it. I’ve definitely caught myself agreeing with opinions just to avoid conflict or fit in, and it’s unsettling to realize how much of that might not truly be “me.” I wonder if there’s a way to consciously separate our own thoughts from what we’ve absorbed from others—maybe through journaling or regular self-reflection? What do you think is the most effective way to stay true to oneself in a world full of external voices? I’d love to hear your personal strategies or experiences on this. Have you ever realized you were adopting someone else’s opinion as your own? It’s such an important topic, especially in today’s information-heavy world. How do you navigate this in your own life?