by Cody Hodge

Created on: March 14, 2009

What is the value of an opinion? An opinion is not always the truth, and so the value of an opinion must be taken into the context in which the opinion is given. We give opinions, and we get opinions everyday, and they are given and taken almost without thinking sometimes. Sometimes an opinion is given with a lot of good factual information to back it up, and sometimes an opinion is given without any thought for facts, or the situation at hand. With so many opinions, and so many people giving them, how should an opinion be taken?

An opinion is actually a very valuable tool. When given in context, and with some facts to back up the opinion, you can be doing someone a great service by giving an opinion. For example, if someone wants to choose a college, and asks for your advice, if you have gone to the school, or have heard things about the school, you can give a good opinion. Your knowledge, and your insight can help someone make a great decision about a college.

When you give an opinion just to give an opinion, it is both a disservice to the person being given the opinion, and to yourself. For example, me and some co-workers were watching CNBC yesterday when one of my co-workers blurted out that she thought Barack Obama was a socialist. Sure, that was a common opinion, but where are the facts, besides the fact that someone told you, or you just heard it on TV?

I don't think that people should be disallowed the opportunity to give an opinion, just that if you are going to say something, don't say something that will make you look stupid. When giving an opinion, you should always make sure that you know what you are talking about, or have a good reason to believe that you do. A lot of people say things that are outside of the box, or maybe not in the main stream, but were good opinions nonetheless.

I was having a conversation with a friend about politics, specifically the price of oil, and how it related to the Iraq war. I argued that the price of gas was not the main reason to go to war, but my friend had a different view. He said that he thought that the purpose of the first war was more about the price of gas, as opposed to liberating Kuwait. While I disagreed, mostly because gas prices never lowered after the first war, it was a good thought that made me think about my views.

When someone gives an opinion, don't hesitate to disagree, or to convince them that they are not correct. However, never just dismiss an opinion because you don't like it. Opinions are what help us to learn new things, and think about issues from another perspective. Some may be flat out wrong, and some may sound too dumb to be real, but everyone has an opinion, and is entitled to it.

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