# I pit people who can't tell the difference between fact and opinion **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 23, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543 "2011-06-23T11:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/1 "2011-06-23T11:39:29Z")
All right, let’s get this clear. “The sky I am looking at right now is blue” is a statement of fact. It is either true or false, and is _objectively_ so. “I think blue is the nicest-looking color” is an opinion. It cannot be true or false, and is completely subjective, depending on the person making the statement’s personal outlook. “In my opinion, the world is flat” is _not_ an opinion. Tacking “IMO” in front of something does _not_ turn it into an opinion; if it is a statement that is objectively right or wrong, then you cannot protect it by claiming that it is your opinion; it is _still_ objectively right or wrong (and if you have to protect it by calling it your opinion or belief, it is _usually_ going to be wrong). While this doesn’t quite apply as much to SDMB, it still pisses me right the fuck off, especially in religious debates that cross over into science. I feel my blood starting to boil every time some idiot says something like “IMO evolution didn’t happen”. That’s not an opinion, that’s a statement of fact which is _false_. Shut up and deal with it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/2 "2011-06-23T11:59:53Z")
[obvious]Well that’s just, like, your opinion, man…[/obvious] ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/3 "2011-06-23T12:05:24Z")
“I think blue is the nicest colour” is a fact - it’s a statement about my opinion, not the opinion itself. “Blue is the nicest colour” is an opinion. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/4 "2011-06-23T12:14:41Z")
“Those are just facts, and facts are just opinions, and opinions can be wrong” - Better Off Ted ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/5 "2011-06-23T12:26:02Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > “Blue is the nicest colour” is an opinion. The fact is blue is the nicest color, in my opinion. But in my opinion, the fact that blue is the nicest color in no way takes away from the fact that it’s a matter of opinion. If I were looking through a blue-tinted window my opinion may not reflect fact, but the fact that it is my opinion remains a fact, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/6 "2011-06-23T13:20:14Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > “The sky I am looking at right now is blue” is a statement of fact. It is either true or false, and is _objectively_ so. That is false. “I am sick of this fucking rain” is a statement of fact. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/7 "2011-06-23T13:53:11Z")
The post two below this is a fact. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/8 "2011-06-23T13:53:26Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > The fact is blue is the nicest color, in my opinion. But in my opinion, the fact that blue is the nicest color in no way takes away from the fact that it’s a matter of opinion. > > If I were looking through a blue-tinted window my opinion may not reflect fact, but the fact that it is my opinion remains a fact, in my opinion. And that’s a fact! ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/9 "2011-06-23T13:54:22Z")
The post two above this is an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/10 "2011-06-23T13:54:51Z")
Too slow… (Ha, nice editing!) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/11 "2011-06-23T14:01:03Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > The post two above this is an opinion. That’s just your opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/12 "2011-06-23T14:08:12Z")
Yep, fully on board with this putting. My favorite example of this on the SDMB is when Lobohan got on my ass in a thread about denying facts, and when I asked him which facts those were he said “global warming, universal health care,” and something else I can’t remember that wasn’t “a fact.” ---
**Author:** ![KellyCriterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@KellyCriterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyCriterion)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/13 "2011-06-23T14:08:35Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > That’s just your opinion. Only if you’re matter-of-factly speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/14 "2011-06-23T16:32:21Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Yep, fully on board with this putting. > > My favorite example of this on the SDMB is when Lobohan got on my ass in a thread about denying facts, and when I asked him which facts those were he said “global warming, universal health care,” and something else I can’t remember that wasn’t “a fact.” Um… What? The existence of global warming, the effectiveness of universal health care, etc… Those are all facts. There’s nothing subjective about them, they are either true or false. Just because the jury is still out doesn’t mean it is an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/15 "2011-06-23T16:58:31Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Um… What? The existence of global warming, the effectiveness of universal health care, etc… Those are all facts. There’s nothing subjective about them, they are either true or false. Just because the jury is still out doesn’t mean it is an opinion. Well, and this is where we start to get into trouble. To take a non-controversial example, how about the statement **“P!=NP”**. This is a statement from computer science. The statement is either true or false, there is no doubt about that. Thus, it is a fact. On the other hand, no-one on Earth knows if it is true or false. In my opinion, it is true. **“In my opinion, P!=NP”** is a statement of fact. It is definitely true. \*My opinion \*is not a matter of opinion, but a matter of fact. So what is an opinion again? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/16 "2011-06-23T17:04:17Z")
I thought this was going to be about Fox News’ normal defense that Show X is editorial in nature and not hard news… ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/17 "2011-06-23T17:11:42Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I thought this was going to be about Fox News’ normal defense that Show X is editorial in nature and not hard news… Yeah, or “Fox News HAS to run stories that are completely false, because of Keith Olbermann!” ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/18 "2011-06-23T18:32:09Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Um… What? The existence of global warming, the effectiveness of universal health care, etc… Those are all facts. There’s nothing subjective about them, they are either true or false. Just because the jury is still out doesn’t mean it is an opinion. Reno Nevada nailed it. “The mean global temperature from year x to year y” is a statement of fact, but we currently don’t have any objective way of determining whether it’s true or not. We can only make observations and support the opinion that that statement is true. Also, once ýou get to anything dealing with AGW that’s more complicated, you are definitely in opinion territory (eg, “The temperature increase was caused by humans”) or policy argument territory (eg, “The US should work to reduce carbon output.”). On UHC, the statement “UHC is effective” is opinion pure and simple unless you define “effective” in an extremely detailed manner, in which case Ýou may arrive at a factual statement that we can’t determine is true or not. And, of course, the interesting aspects of the debate are policy arguments, not factual statements. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/19 "2011-06-23T18:56:41Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Yeah, or “Fox News HAS to run stories that are completely false, because of Keith Olbermann!” Keith’s back, too. Countdown is now on [Current TV](http://current.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543/20 "2011-06-23T19:03:31Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Yep, fully on board with this putting. > > My favorite example of this on the SDMB is when Lobohan got on my ass in a thread about denying facts, and when I asked him which facts those were he said “global warming, universal health care,” and something else I can’t remember that wasn’t “a fact.” Sorry retard, you’re wrong. You refuse to acknowledge that the vast majority of working climate scientists agree that Global Warming is happening. _You do this because you are a coward who would rather live in delusion than face a reality that is against your stupid ideology._ That was an opinion by the way. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-cant-tell-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion/586543.md?page=2)