It does not take much effort for most of us to recall numerous occasions on which we found the strongly held views of family, friends or acquaintances mildly irritating, or even downright annoying.
Perhaps one of the reasons is that we did not give enough attention to whether those views reflected facts or opinions.
And if we think carefully and objectively about the heated debates that often ensued, the role played by the truth was almost invariably negligible.
Opinions seemed to rule the roost in most instances, and dogmatic standpoints were their vehicles.
The dominance of opinions over facts underlies most of the normal interactions between and among people. This seems to characterise much of man’s innate nature.
Discussions about sports teams and individual players arouse strong views, usually with little more than insular and biased thinking. It is amazing how many supporters purport to know everything about the players’ abilities and weaknesses of the teams without an iota of coaching experience and not much more playing experience.
Everyone becomes an ‘expert’ and takes great pleasure in foisting their views on others, often with a certain degree of annoying and unfounded arrogance.
When deciding on the purchase of houses, motor vehicles, household appliances and many other items, more often than not, opinions carry sway. Tastes and personal preferences vary greatly, and determine the choices made.
Holiday destinations, recreational activities and hobbies also owe their selection to tastes and opinions, possibly sometimes spiced with some consideration of the facts related to them.
The world of music is possibly one of the human pursuits most characterised by opinions and preferences.
The range is so vast and the styles so varied, that agreement on what constitutes the best genre, or instruments, is way out of reach of any common ground. But there is an undeniable fact; music has the most universal appeal of all recreational choices.
In the field of politics, facts and the truth seldom play a role.
Blurring, subterfuge and downright lies often seem to be the stock-in-trade of many political leaders, and they prey on the masses who don’t want to or can’t distinguish between misleading claims and the realities of the facts.
These circumstances give stark credence to the powerful assertion by Dr Ben Carson: “We have been conditioned to think that only politicians can solve our problems. But at some point, maybe we will wake up and recognise that it was politicians who created our problems.”
Is there any more powerful criticism of the propensity of politicians to blur the truth, at best, and patently cause the problems, at worst?
It is important that our education through socialisation and the educational system should sensitise us to the pitfalls of confusing opinions and the truth. There should perhaps be a more focused and energetic effort to develop discriminating and discerning citizens who would be more interested in the facts when deliberations and presentations take place.
The relevant literature understandably abounds with views on the merits of facts and opinions: “Opinion can be endured as long as truth is free to dissect it,” — Unknown.
“Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions,” — Albert Einstein.
“Whenever, therefore, people are deceived and form opinions wide of the truth, it is clear that the error has slid into their minds through the medium of certain resemblances to that truth,” — Socrates.
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth,” — Marcus Aurelius.
Opinions will invariably be a part of life and add to its richness, but facts will always be at one with the truth.
