Opinions Are Every Bit as Important

February 2, 2009 · Comments

greenhead I was reading Peter Kim’s reflections on his experience with someone complaining about his thoughts on Superbowl ads from 2006. The commenter made quite a negative statement in response to Kim’s opinions, and the takeaway from this from Peter was that he tried from that point on to stick to mostly facts. If I read his post right, I disagree.

Opinions matter a great deal. In the constant whitewater of information rushing over us at present, we are in a situation where triage is the norm, where we have to lean on trusted opinions for some of our non-essential information. Sometimes, just sometimes, it’s okay to rely on the opinion of someone else.

I can hear the cry of outrage. “Brogan says let others think for you,” is the headline I’d run, from my righteous philosophy blog. But that’s not exactly what I’m saying. I’m saying that there are times when I need to make up my own mind, but there are plenty of times where I’m willing to accept the work and thinking of others.

In things like SuperBowl ads, I’m sure Peter’s just as qualified as any of the rest of us to give opinions. I don’t have to agree, but I’m also thinking that assailing such opinions, and worse, deciding not to give my opinion because some knob knocked me on the knuckles for it, isn’t the next course of action.

If you’ve yet to catch on, 90+ percent of what I give you here is my opinion.

Has that hurt you?

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  • Well Chris, that depends on whether we think people are total morons that as soon as they hear an opinion, they believe it as Truth, or whether we think reading about different opinions help us get clearer in our minds as to what our own opinion is.

    Kind of like the difference between the Bush administration and the Obama administration, come to think of it.

    We need to hear opinions and facts, just like the best blogs are. Some are opinion pieces, like this one (and I agree with it) while others can be more factual, how tos (your lists for example).

    And even when we're reading facts, it helps to know the opinions of those writing them since, as my old history advisor once told me "What you see depends on where you stand."
  • we had a slew of opinions rushing through last night on twitter -- i was on with the #sb43ads group. i thought the great thing about the opinions were that they clashed, they disagreed, they dissented, but none of us did. we were all darn respectful of each other. from my experience it's always better to ask why someone holds a particular opinion -- their answer sometimes disappoints, but sometimes it inspires me to think in a way i never imagined -- and that's always pretty cool. but that's just my opinion.
  • In my opinion, I agree with Chris on opinions. :)
  • Hey, to clarify - I agree with you, opinions are critical. To rephrase the point about facts: we should all get our facts straight (e.g. was it Kennedy or Byrd, or both?), listen to our gut reaction (i.e. experience matters), and speak openly and honestly about what we think. With this approach, opinions are a great source of learning for everyone.

    But value varies. Someone simply writing "you suck" as an anonymous comment has little value - it's not more than a reminder to keep one's ego in check, if anything.
  • Continuing with an argument from a previous post, I'm liking Mr. Kim's statement: "I was struck by the severity of the opinion, even if written by an 'anonymous coward' with poor spelling and grammar skills." Hmmm. It would seem that poor spelling and grammar skills DOES determine the authority of someone who has an opinion on your opinion. Interesting.

    All that aside, just because you have an opinion on something, doesn't necessarily mean you have all the relevant facts or even that you know what you are talking about. An example in point is the seemingly endless discussion of newspapers going digital. There are many on the Web who have a myopic view of newspapers (Seth Godin, http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/01...) and then there are those who have more facts than the average blogger wants to know. (Alan D. Mutter, http://newsosaur.blogspot.com/) On this account, I trust Alan's opinions far more than I do Seth's.

    Before trusting an opinion, first look to make sure the person who has it is an authority on that which he/she speaks. If not, exchanging opinions is simply a parlor game.
  • Opinions, especially trusted opinions, are intellectual short-cuts. No one has the time to track down all of the credible facts (notice the two part exercise: 1. finding facts, then 2. determining if they are credible/accurate) in every of the hundreds of decisions we make every day.

    I think this point should give us significant motivation to put most of our time into carefully seeking and vetting that trusted network. Particularly as our life becomes more crowded with information and decisions.

    To Peter's comment above, I think opinions are okay to lead with; however, if challenged we have to be courageous enough to research, verify, and concede when the facts are as we expected. Statistics and real-world behavior a notorious for the unexpected, unintuitive result.

    Chris, you make the cut! Thanks again for another great thought/opinion.
  • I'd agree that opinions matter a great deal, and there's billions of them (check out any thread of comments on this site for example). I also think that many many blogs are really designed for the sharing of opinions. Love your writing Chris, and I get a lot out of your posts, but I also think that what you write spurs a lot of discussion and that's equally, if not more valuable.

    For instance, I really liked Rufus' comment above. Don't necessarily agree with him, on all points but I DO agree that having facts incorporated into your argument really helps me weigh your credibility.

    One more thought then I'll shut up. With a billion opinions out there on any given topic, I wonder if it makes finding 'Facts' more difficult or undercuts their weight since so many people attempt to discredit the source.... My .02

    @ryancmiller
  • Well opinions are really perceptions of what people think of things, which is cool, but they should not sway an individual one way or the other on being who they are. Whatever you do, if you do it the best you can and practice not passing judgement, good things will only happen to you anyway.

    And don't be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so that is their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don't be there primarily as a function or a role, but as a field of conscious Presence.--Eckart Tolle
  • @Ryan Miller If you agreed with everything I said, than one of us is unnecessary :-)
  • David_N_Wilson
    Even when informed, most of what is written is opinion. Even the most basic "facts" of the universe shift over time as we come to a better understand. Feynman said we shouldn't call them laws of nature, but instead should say "currently accepted habits of nature".

    That said, I don't have time to be an expert on everything. I do have time to compile a list of trusted sources on different topics that I can go to if I have no time to create my own informed opinion.

    It's actually hard to think of anything in our society not based more heavily on opinion than fact. You don't have to go any further than comparing Fox News to CNN and then to the BBC to see the truth of that.

    That's my opinion, anyway...
  • Opinions attract detractors. If you posit an opinion, prepare yourself for those who vehemently disagree. If you're thin-skinned or don't want to attract debate / abuse / ridicule, then stick to the facts. However, if you find the nature of debate stimulating and the diatribe of web 2.0 hecklers amusing, feel free to give your opinions freely. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right, especially online. A properly grounded community will stabilize those who get out of line. I've seen many forum members gang up on those who are abusive or grossly out of line. No moderator required.
  • The more info the better, and opinions are a type of information. Of course time has to be spent sifting through to find whats applicable to you and your situation.
    It seems knowing how to quickly sort through opinions is a necessary skill these days!
  • I think what we are talking about here is quality vs. quantity.

    One opinion from a "famous" icon may be worth 1,000 similar opinions from the common folk.

    In truth, my opinion is the only one that counts. More people should consider that notion. Bandwagon-jumping has become a spectator sport. That's unfortunate. This is America. We are all created equal.
  • I love your image of the "triage" of information. Triage gives the information filtering process the weight it requires. Just as with medical triage, we must be selective of our triage team. I wouldn't give just anybody that position, but I must have a team in place. No man is an island.
  • It hasn't hurt one bit. This is new for so many of us and it's imperative that we get a little help along the way. We're not giving up our right to think for ourselves. We're essentially getting information through a different set of filters. We're all filters. We're all gatekeepers. We all see things in a different light. You can inundate yourself with information but wouldn't you rather have more information than not enough?
  • Of course opinions matter. That is why newspapers have opinion pages. Smart people seek out the opinions of others, even those they disagree with.
    ~jon
  • Chris,

    You are right on! We are barraged with information every day and every day - in my world anyway - I feel the pressure to decide things quickly. I cannot possibly read all the news out there, nor do I want too. And frankly, some things that are important to be aware of - like financial and economic information - are not my core strengths. Much of that information flies right over my head. For that reason, I have learned to trust people who have a solid understanding of such things. They help me understand what's important/what's not. Along the way, I learn.

    How do I decide who's opinion matters to me? It's about building a relationship and learning to trust people. I look for integrity in word and deed, transparency in communication, honesty...that sort of thing. When people demonstrate to me that they are not only real, but have the background and experience to back up what they say. I pay attention! On the flip side, I can tell when someone is just blowing smoke to feed their own ego's. Those people I ignore.
  • Opinions only become a problem when they are presented as facts. Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs, but as long as people do not try to mis-educated people based SOLEY on THEIR opinion then we should be ok.
  • I have to wonder...if we don't use whatever available means to express our opinions (websites, forums, comments, etc), aren't we just stifling our own voices and letting things be dictated by those who pipe up the loudest?

    My SO and I were discussing something similar last night. I asked him what the difference was between his reaction to a nearby stranger being rude to him and some anonymous person on World of Warcraft telling him he 'sucked at life'. My SO said that he could discount the opinion of "some teenager who has never met me" but found it harder to ignore someone who was right in front of him. In a sense, anonymous comments can be a bit easier to ignore because the person leaving them doesn't have the guts to put their name on their opinion. Still might sting, but not nearly as much as someone who tells you something negative, and has the guts to claim their opinion.

    I think even the most objective blogs have a bit of opinionated bias to them. That's just how people work. Could it be that someone reacting so strongly to one's opinion (especially negatively) is because it causes them to maybe reexamine their viewpoints?
  • I agree with you (and many others) on sharing opinion vs factual: but in one case from the Superbowl last night I highlighted on a blog article: "Cash4Gold Superbowl $2.7 million online reputation nightmare."

    In today's digital age too many marketing types are zipping right into the field of insanity and failing to realize how different media elements connect. In some cases (like Cash4Gold), a commercial that could be rated by viewer opinion is instead being rated by consumer opinion and reviews off Google.

    As more "sudden death" media channels begin to cross over, it will be really interesting to see how communication pros evolve or die.
  • geo
    as a doc filmmaker you quickly realize everybody not only has an opinion but a point of view - you can't escape it - but the reality check is not to take your or my opinion too seriously and with that

    hmmm how many times do i have to tell you chris when i want your opinion i will give it too you - so remember what i didn't say too :-)

    you're forgiven

    anyway hope to see you one of these days
  • stevenimmons
    Opinions are (hopefully) the application of wisdom and are vital. Sadly there are a lot of 'big personalities' (generally rather ignorant ones) that want to brow beat any dissenter into submission. Wise opinion that disassociates from the 'masses' can often be vital - remember when the world was flat! Be right, be wrong, but please don't be on the fence...
  • I couldn't agree with you more, Chris. Sometimes I just don't care enough about a subject to form my own opinion.
  • Opinions are important (at least in my humble opinion). Here's the thing...if you and I are sitting discussing something (a product, a service, etc.) and you're dishing out all the facts, there will come a point where I'll stop you and say, "Yeah Chris, that's great. But what do you THINK?" (I want your opinion).
  • I'll listen to everyone's opinion and then form my own. Hasn't hurt me yet ;-)
  • Bill Rice, right on! Great discussion here. Isn't that what opinion produces, a discussion that leads to better-formulated thoughts and actions. As a student of rhetoric, dialectic is fine by me!
    (I do wish that less people believed hogwash presented as "fact." Opinion is not the problem in the U.S.)
  • First things first: I'm not trying to make anyone mad.

    But... I just got to read this post and almost everyone sounds like a follower. Did I really only count two people who disagreed - and then only slightly? What's the phrase? Oh yeah, "like sheep to the slaughter".

    Did anyone read Peter's original post? He advocates citing facts and using common sense rather than just throwing something out there for the sake of filling space on a blog. He didn't feel knowledgeable enough to write about commercials, so he didn't do it. Sounds like good judgment to me.

    Again, not trying to make anyone mad, but come on guys. Don't drink too much of the Kool-Aid.
  • I think hearing/reading an array of opinions is wonderful, and imperative. Perhaps we won't agree with everything we encounter, but it's the ideal of taking a step outside of ourselves and seeing the world through someone else's eyes that makes it okay.

    However, simply going along with other's opinions based on who they are or what they do is no good. The day we stop reasoning and thinking for ourselves is the day we stop living. We all have different situations and life experiences that make up our opinions and why we think the way we do, and each one is relevant... no matter how far-fetched it may seem.
  • Interesting points, Chris. People are afraid to give opinions because that takes your blog from the OBjective to the SUBjective. All of a sudden, you have to stand or fall on what you actually think, which most people aren't willing to do because they lack confidence in their own conclusions.

    This is why so many blogs only report what happened with blockquotes from the original post. It's kind of like the television news. They want credit for bringing the information to the people, but they want to seem "neutral" to the topic.

    This is how we miss out on A LOT of good discussions.
  • I have to wonder...if we don't use whatever available means to express our opinions (websites, forums, comments, etc), aren't we just stifling our own voices and letting things be dictated by those who pipe up the loudest?
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