Opinions Masquerading as Facts: What to Do?
There was a time – in the not-too-distant past – when we agreed on facts yet differed on their implications. This resulted in diverse opinions and various conclusions on how to proceed.
As the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” We have departed mightily from those days.
Today, at a minimum, opinions appear to have merged with facts. In some cases, opinions have completely highjacked facts: they are simply opinions masquerading as facts. How do we figure out which are facts, and which are opinions, and how can we work to focus on facts over opinions?
Facts and Opinions: What Are They?
” A fact is a specific detail that is true [and] based on objective proof. A fact is discovered.
“An opinion is an interpretation, value judgment, or belief that cannot be proved or disproved. An opinion is created.
“Objective proof can be physical evidence, an eyewitness account, or the result of an accepted scientific method. Most people’s points of view and beliefs are based on a blend of fact and opinion. Pressbooks, 2018, from “Integrated Reading and Writing, Level 1”
The Importance of Differentiating Between Facts and Emotions:
How do we determine the difference between something based on objective proof: “a fact is discovered,” and “a created interpretation that cannot be proved or disproved?” an opinion?
Blogger Nate Anglin offers his opinion on opinions in “How to Articulate Facts That Will Help You Avoid Biased Opinions.” “Opinions are riddled with emotion. They pull, prod, and probe you into believing a certain way. Over time opinions become siloed, biased, and funneled. They’re inflexible. Anything beyond what you believe to be true is labeled as [expletive deleted]—a conspiracy.”
Similarly, Study.com describes opinions as “a statement that expresses a belief, idea or emotion that is not provable. . .” While “a fact is a statement that can be proved beyond any doubt.”
The Common thread that seems to distinguish fact (provable and/or discovered) from opinion (interpretation, belief or value judgment) is emotion.
Managing Emotions:
It’s not if (we have emotions); rather, how we manage them. All of us have emotions and there’s nothing inherently wrong with emotions, or opinions for that matter. It’s how we use them, and the relationship between heated emotions, facts, opinions and how we communicate them.
Tips and How-To’s to Avoid Emotions that Drive Opinions that are Substituted for Facts:
The Tips are the Key Points; the How-To’s offer suggested phrases:
Tip #1: Engage in Active Listening
How-To’s
- “Seek to Understand Before Being Understood:” * Listen Without Responding:
“I want to understand. I promise to say nothing until you’re finished,” or “I am going to listen, and ask questions at the end. Okay?” or “How about this? I’ll listen without comment until you’re finished, and then I’ll speak. Okay?” *From Stephen Covey’s, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
- Check for Understanding: Repeat or Rephrase to Ensure Understanding: “Before responding, I want to make sure I understand. After you finish, I’ll state in my words what I heard,” or “It’s important that I get it right. So, I’m going to repeat what I understood, and ask for corrections.”
Tip #2: Think First, Respond Second
How-To’s
- Avoid Responding Immediately: Responding When the Heat is Down is Usually Best: “Let me think about that and get back to you by the end of the day,” or “I need a bit more time to formulate my response,” or “It seems we’re both a bit too emotional now. How about we speak again tomorrow.”
- When An Immediate Response Offends, Apologize: “I’m sorry I said that; I should have waited to respond when I was thinking more clearly,” or “Ouch, I apologize,” or “So sorry.”
Tip #3: Own It, Accept Responsibility
How-To’s
- Avoid Using “You” Statements: They Can Appear Accusatory While “I” Statements Show Ownership of Emotions: “I’m not sure I understood. This is what I’m hearing. Please confirm or correct me if I’m wrong,” or “I am feeling a bit tender now. Let me get back to you later. “or “I confess that comment was intended to hurt and I apologize. I’d rather we reconvene later. Is that okay?”
- Demonstrate a Willingness to Listen and Learn the Others’ Point of View: “I have a different understanding of the situation. I’m interested to hear other opinions. Have at it,” or “Interesting, that’s not my understanding. Tell me more,” or “I think I understand that point of view; since I think differently, I want to learn more.”
Tip #4: Redirect the Communication to Facts
How-To’s
- Propose a Fact-Based Source of Information: “It seems we rely upon different sources of information that report different facts. How about we access the local library and ask a reference librarian for another source of information?” or “Let’s agree to find a neutral fact-based source of information. Any ideas?” or “Let’s each look at the facts we’ve gathered and see which are provable. Does that make sense?” or “So many sources of information out there. How do we figure out which are based on provable facts, and which are opinions?”
Returning to Facts Over Opinions and Reducing the Emotion Driving Opinions: In the era in which we live – with emotion often driving opinions, and opinions frequently substituted for facts, it’s important to return to a common understanding of the facts.
It will take each of us conducting self-assessments as to our own conduct and source of information, committing to seek out facts (provable), and then work to truly understand where others are coming from. If the will is there, we can do it!
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
