How We Form Opinions
In an earlier post the question of how we form our opinions was raised and Joss suggested that it would form an interesting subject to debate in a new post, which I undertook to investigate and report back on. The following are the results of my efforts.
Immediately upon starting this exercise I realized that there was a snag, namely, that whatever the conclusions reached, would be MY OPINION and therefore open to question. To overcome this difficulty I propose to express my thoughts as a series of observations for members to consider, challenge and debate. The following are the results of that research.
A) FOUNDATION. Dr J Goebbels realized that it is possible to make the majority of people believe ANYTHING that you want them to believe. To achieve this all you have to do is to constantly tell them what it is that they WANT TO HEAR until they BELIEVE IN YOU, and then to tell them what it is that YOU WANT THEM TO BELIEVE. It is called propaganda, a form of brainwashing, and it ultimately led to the Holocaust.
We have a classic example of this in the Guardian that continually boasts that it is a charity which owes no allegiance and is therefore believable, as opposed to the remainder of the press, owned by billionaires with axes to grind. What we must remember is that, like all newspapers, it has one objective and that is to SELL PAPERS.
B) SOURCING. Next we must consider where we obtain the information upon which we base our opinion, which, for most of us will be TV, newspapers, conversation, social media and personal experience.
C) QUANTIFICATION. Since people rely upon the above sources, they are all influenced/brainwashed by the way in which any source chooses to present that information, together with the intellect of the person receiving it, therefore it is vital that the source, and its possible bias, is subject to careful scrutiny.
D) EVALUATION. Finally we reach the most important and most difficult task, namely, how do we process all of the data into a reasonable valid opinion. Since there is no prescribed formula for achieving this one can only offer suggestions as a basis for debate.
1) Start with an open mind, a very difficult requirement.
2) Check as many and varied sources as possible.
3) Impartially evaluate each source as to its leaning and credibility.
4) Consider both pro’s and con’s, where something/somebody is bad, look for the good, and vice versa.
5) Avoid “bees in the bonnet” syndrome, however passionately one believes in a cause try to be objective at all times.
6) Finally, carefully, using reason and logic, form an OPINION and having done so stay with it until you get a reasoned and logical argument, SUPPORTED BY FACT, to alter/modify it.
Finally, having given this subject some thought I am forced to the conclusion that forming a sound opinion is a most difficult process and that “off the cuff” hasty opinions are worthless.
I look forward, with interest to any responses you may wish to make upon the subject covered by the above.
Immediately upon starting this exercise I realized that there was a snag, namely, that whatever the conclusions reached, would be MY OPINION and therefore open to question. To overcome this difficulty I propose to express my thoughts as a series of observations for members to consider, challenge and debate. The following are the results of that research.
A) FOUNDATION. Dr J Goebbels realized that it is possible to make the majority of people believe ANYTHING that you want them to believe. To achieve this all you have to do is to constantly tell them what it is that they WANT TO HEAR until they BELIEVE IN YOU, and then to tell them what it is that YOU WANT THEM TO BELIEVE. It is called propaganda, a form of brainwashing, and it ultimately led to the Holocaust.
We have a classic example of this in the Guardian that continually boasts that it is a charity which owes no allegiance and is therefore believable, as opposed to the remainder of the press, owned by billionaires with axes to grind. What we must remember is that, like all newspapers, it has one objective and that is to SELL PAPERS.
B) SOURCING. Next we must consider where we obtain the information upon which we base our opinion, which, for most of us will be TV, newspapers, conversation, social media and personal experience.
C) QUANTIFICATION. Since people rely upon the above sources, they are all influenced/brainwashed by the way in which any source chooses to present that information, together with the intellect of the person receiving it, therefore it is vital that the source, and its possible bias, is subject to careful scrutiny.
D) EVALUATION. Finally we reach the most important and most difficult task, namely, how do we process all of the data into a reasonable valid opinion. Since there is no prescribed formula for achieving this one can only offer suggestions as a basis for debate.
1) Start with an open mind, a very difficult requirement.
2) Check as many and varied sources as possible.
3) Impartially evaluate each source as to its leaning and credibility.
4) Consider both pro’s and con’s, where something/somebody is bad, look for the good, and vice versa.
5) Avoid “bees in the bonnet” syndrome, however passionately one believes in a cause try to be objective at all times.
6) Finally, carefully, using reason and logic, form an OPINION and having done so stay with it until you get a reasoned and logical argument, SUPPORTED BY FACT, to alter/modify it.
Finally, having given this subject some thought I am forced to the conclusion that forming a sound opinion is a most difficult process and that “off the cuff” hasty opinions are worthless.
I look forward, with interest to any responses you may wish to make upon the subject covered by the above.
