# Declare an opinion to be absolutely correct and authorative **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 28, 2016, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319 "2016-04-28T08:17:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/1 "2016-04-28T08:17:45Z")
For the purposes of this hypothetical, let’s assume my alternate career as a SuperScientist is coming along nicely. Let’s further assume that my project, the Opiniontron 9000, has also been completed and is functioning far better than expected. The Opiniontron 9000 allows the user to bend the very fabric of reality to erase opinions they don’t like or vehemently disagree with. The user’s opinions are declared correct in all ways, and opinions they don’t like are simply wrong and always will be. As part of the calibration process, the Opiniontron 9000 has made it so that all opinions differing from yours have automatically been declared wrong on the following subjects: - Religion - Firearms - Local/National politics - Social justice issues including but not limited to gay marriage, abortion and animal rights Even better, thanks to its reality bending nature, the Opiniontron 9000 has managed to create an alternate reality for you with these opinions - thus, super religious folks aren’t forcing militant atheists to shut up or face a righteous smiting, for example. In your reality, all the dissenting opinions on Major Issues People Argue About A Lot have simply ceased to exist. However, to make the best use of its processing power, the Opiniontron 9000 now requires you to manually select opinions to be declared authoritively correct. Dissenting opinions may not disappear, but they will be regarded by most people as Wrong; your view will be the prevailing one. So: What’s your first choice? Which dissenting opinion are you declaring to be completely wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/2 "2016-04-28T12:16:16Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Which dissenting opinion are you declaring to be completely wrong? That forcibly manufacturing consensus on matters of opinion is a net good thing and should be allowed to continue. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/3 "2016-04-28T13:00:03Z")
My opinions are based on what the prevailing majority thinks. As M. Twain observed, “If I discover that the majority agrees with me, I rethink my position.” So the Opiniontron 9000 already exists for me. I use national polls to indicate to me the majority view, which is then automatically dismissed. You see, the majority of people believe what they have been persuaded to believe, and the truth needs no persuasion, so popular belief must be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/4 "2016-04-28T19:29:37Z")
Before this thread gets much farther, we need to clarify just which thing OP is asking of us. His thread title suggests: “Declare an opinion to be absolutely correct and authorative”. But his final paragraphs asks exactly the opposite: “So: What’s your first choice? Which dissenting opinion are you declaring to be completely wrong?” So we all need to be clear just which thing we are answering, or the OP needs to clarify which he wants. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/5 "2016-04-28T23:59:40Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > That forcibly manufacturing consensus on matters of opinion is a net good thing and should be allowed to continue. Agreed. The danger here is too great. Just for one trivial example, White Chocolate would be in danger of being banned in this way. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/6 "2016-04-29T00:04:39Z")
“Authorative” is not a real word. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/7 "2016-04-29T01:43:22Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Agreed. The danger here is too great. > > Just for one trivial example, White Chocolate would be in danger of being banned in this way. **White Chocolate** hasn’t even got a Mod Note, much less a Warning. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/8 "2016-04-29T02:21:36Z")
If it were to self-identify as a Nazi… Once, in college, we did an experiment: every student in the class (Philosophy, I believe it was) had the right to remove one word from the dictionary. The word was stricken from any human usage, ever. As might be expected, the first few choices were the ugliest racial and religious slurs. But once those were gone, a few wags started gaming it up. The word “truth” got banned, and, before the end, the word “the.” A die-hard General Semanticist nixed “is.” It was a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/9 "2016-04-29T02:32:12Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > My opinions are based on what the prevailing majority thinks. As M. Twain observed, “If I discover that the majority agrees with me, I rethink my position.” > > So the Opiniontron 9000 already exists for me. I use national polls to indicate to me the majority view, which is then automatically dismissed. > > You see, the majority of people believe what they have been persuaded to believe, and the truth needs no persuasion, so popular belief must be wrong. Could you give a few examples of majority-held views that you dismiss as wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/10 "2016-04-29T04:19:38Z")
Most religions… ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/11 "2016-04-29T04:42:58Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > “Authorative” is not a real word. [SHELDON COOPER’s MOM] And that’s _your_ opinion. [/SHELDON COOPER’s MOM] ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/12 "2016-04-29T08:34:01Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > So we all need to be clear just which thing we are answering, or the OP needs to clarify which he wants. In the interests of hoping for at least some attempts at a serious answer, let’s go with “Declare an opinion to absolutely correct”. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/13 "2016-04-29T19:40:22Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > In the interests of hoping for at least some attempts at a serious answer, let’s go with “Declare an opinion to absolutely correct”. Okay, then. Trump probably isn’t _really_ a total idiot. But all his Trumpistas are. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/14 "2016-04-29T20:13:36Z")
Firestone Walker Double Jack is the best beer in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/15 "2016-04-29T21:06:26Z")
Within the boundaries of laws that protect consensual behavior - that is, willing participation among people of the age and mental capacity to make informed decisions - people are free to do whatever they want with their own bodies. Secondary to this absolutely correct opinion, all attempts to legislate sexual morality and bodily autonomy should be met with derision and a Taser. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/16 "2016-04-29T22:24:45Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > . . . “Declare an opinion to absolutely correct”. There can be no disputing of tastes. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/17 "2016-04-29T22:27:03Z")
Can I do a “wishing for more wishes” thing and just declare all my opinions to be correct? 😃 Its so hard to choose just one! ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/18 "2016-04-29T23:46:09Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > So: What’s your first choice? Which dissenting opinion are you declaring to be completely wrong? "The American way of life is not up for negotiations. Period.” POTUS 41 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/19 "2016-04-30T07:24:30Z")
Teams that are allowed to return their pitcher to the mound after having someone else bat for him aren’t REALLY playing baseball. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319/20 "2016-04-30T17:33:26Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > There can be no disputing of tastes. You’ve been on this board how long? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declare-an-opinion-to-be-absolutely-correct-and-authorative/753319.md?page=2)