Opinions

Opinions

What matters – opinions or facts?

Facts are objective and opinions are subjective. Is it not what we are trained to think?

Objective is a dubious word. There is a myth that if something can be quantified, it is objective. Giving numbers instead of adjectives is considered an improvement. But, how are the numbers arrived at? Discounted cash flow is a fine technique to assess the soundness of an investment, but the technique is as good as the assumptions underlying the figures. Everything we consider objective has a strong subjective bias to it.

Now, on opinions. Which matters? Opinions or facts?

Consider the extreme case – judgment of a court. We consider it sacrosanct or are asked to. It is after all an opinion. It prevails unless it is on disputed water or cricket board.

How are confidential reports written? Purely based on opinions. How do the electorate vote? Based on opinions.

In anything that matters, it is opinion that matters.

Yes, facts may back opinions. Often facts are adjusted to fit opinions! I have seen this happen in credit decisions.

We have to spend our time while in school, college and calm moods to gather facts and fine tune opinions, but in the end we act in the nick of the moment on opinion or judgment.

10/4/2017

What i write tomorrow may differ from what i write today. But, it will be as honest and sincere as today. A fresh fact, a fresh understanding or a fresh fancy that has seized hold of me will be the reason why i write differently.

Whatever i write is an opinion. An opinion is neither right nor wrong.

A vote is also an opinion. When so many votes are cast in favour of a candidate, so many people have a favourable opinion of him. But, that does not tell us what exactly influenced the opinion. Media and others speculate and while doing so, they are guided by their opinion. It is opinion of an opinion, a shadow of a shadow, to use a very pregnant phrase of Shakespeare.

Much of what we fight about are opinions. To believe that we are right and others wrong is a basic fixation with most of us. That is the root of intolerance. Many people who cried foul on the issue of intolerance did not consider for a moment that they were guilty of that which they complained about.

Truth in the affairs of the world is variable depending on the development of our mind in understanding. When understanding rather than reason or dogma rules our opinions, peace will be assured. It is the duty of responsible people to promote understanding, more than in shaping opinions. It will not only be an uninteresting world, but an impossible one, where everyone will have the same opinion. Religion, politics, etc. come into conflict of a disastrous kind because of an attempt to force uniformity which nature rules out.

Hopefully i will not change this opinion of mine drastically.

Jul 31, 2006

We are enslaved to one idea or another. A monkey leaves one branch and hops on to another. Likewise our mind is perched on some idea.