Opinions; everybody's got one
John Balchak
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Opinion
"Opinions are like ass#@!*s; everybody's got one."
This crude, unenlightened retort does a good job of making everyone's thoughts and words seem less significant. But how DO we decide who's "right" and who's "wrong"?
The opinion racket seems to be pretty easy. Just decide that you like or dislike something and let fly. This is the point at which we must differentiate between opinion and attitude.
Opinion works best when backed up with facts. It also helps when the reaction is in proportion to the event and the opiner has some experience or other interesting angle on the subject (English really does need a better word for this person).
Attitude is more of an emotional response, and doesn't require much proof or statistical analysis. Petty attitude sounds shallow but it is has historically been the basis or revolution, fortune and social status.
Remember, America's origins came from a few rabble-rousers who refused to pay the British for what was, in the empire's mind, aid to a godforsaken outpost. Pettiness is obviously in the eye of the attitudee (once again, dictionary additions are in order).
Among renown opiners, there are few who seem to set the right balance. A few, like George Will, get lost in too many facts and never come up with an opinion. More (Rush, Hedgekook and the rest of the radio right) make their livings at the edge of reason, straining facts to find fuel for their fires.
All I know is, the next time Thomas Friedman tells me that India and China have superior talent because of their more demanding societal competition, I'm going to start buying the Bangalore Times.
Debate was once an intercollegiate event like athletics. Now, it seems that students would rather rap at each other. Opinion is very age sensitive, the more experience the opiner has - the more set they will probably be in their ways. This has its benefits and disadvantages. The young may put forth ideas their elders find absurd and immature but the oldsters have their mistakes to answer for.
This crude, unenlightened retort does a good job of making everyone's thoughts and words seem less significant. But how DO we decide who's "right" and who's "wrong"?
The opinion racket seems to be pretty easy. Just decide that you like or dislike something and let fly. This is the point at which we must differentiate between opinion and attitude.
Opinion works best when backed up with facts. It also helps when the reaction is in proportion to the event and the opiner has some experience or other interesting angle on the subject (English really does need a better word for this person).
Attitude is more of an emotional response, and doesn't require much proof or statistical analysis. Petty attitude sounds shallow but it is has historically been the basis or revolution, fortune and social status.
Remember, America's origins came from a few rabble-rousers who refused to pay the British for what was, in the empire's mind, aid to a godforsaken outpost. Pettiness is obviously in the eye of the attitudee (once again, dictionary additions are in order).
Among renown opiners, there are few who seem to set the right balance. A few, like George Will, get lost in too many facts and never come up with an opinion. More (Rush, Hedgekook and the rest of the radio right) make their livings at the edge of reason, straining facts to find fuel for their fires.
All I know is, the next time Thomas Friedman tells me that India and China have superior talent because of their more demanding societal competition, I'm going to start buying the Bangalore Times.
Debate was once an intercollegiate event like athletics. Now, it seems that students would rather rap at each other. Opinion is very age sensitive, the more experience the opiner has - the more set they will probably be in their ways. This has its benefits and disadvantages. The young may put forth ideas their elders find absurd and immature but the oldsters have their mistakes to answer for.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
J Balchak
posted 11/11/09 @ 1:47 PM PST
"Opinions are like ass#@!%s, everybody's got one." should have been the first line of this piece.
For a more enlightened view on this topic please see. (Continued…)
online assignments
posted 11/26/09 @ 9:09 PM PST
So many minds, so many opinions.
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