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15 Types of Opinion
John Spacey, September 10, 2020
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An opinion is a judgement regarding truth made by an individual, group or institution at a point in time. These are
the foundation for most strategy and decisions at every level of society. The following are common types of
opinion.
Fact
A fact is a judgement that is supported by evidence such that it is widely accepted as a truth. Facts must be open to
reasonable challenges or they aren't really facts. For example, the scientific method allows for all accepted laws and
theories to be challenged based on new evidence. Facts are often contrasted with opinions but you can adopt a fact
as an opinion such that they aren't mutually exclusive.
Rational Opinion
An objective opinion that is based on logical evaluation of evidence. In order to be fully rational, an opinion must
be uncolored by ideology, motivation or bias.
Nonrational Opinion
An opinion that is less than rational meaning it is formed with insufficient logic, evidence or objectivity. For
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example, a negative opinion you form of someone based on an emotional reaction to their face.
Biased Opinion
A type of irrational opinion based on patterns of repeated failures of logic known as biases.
Motivated Opinion
An opinion that has some motivation behind it such as conforming to an ideology or pleasing a sponsor.
Fallacy
A fallacy is a statement that is demonstrably not true. In other words, a fallacy is flawed logic.
Educated Opinion
An opinion from someone who has the education and/or experience required to fully understand a domain. An
opinion can be rational without being educated and vice versa.
Conjecture
A rational opinion that is formed in the context of uncertainty such that evidence is missing. It is very common for
evidence to be lacking when an opinion is required. For example, an economist who must give an opinion on
economic growth without knowing how a monetary authority will react to economic data.
Nonopinion Opinion
Communication that is presented as an opinion that actually says nothing. For example, if by whiskey.
Groupthink
Groupthink is a situation where individuals form opinions through social processes as opposed to logical processes
such that they repeat things they've heard without really understanding them. In many cases, an individual is under
intense political, social and economic pressure to echo the opinions of a group.
Hypothesis
A reasonable prediction that you make before collecting all the evidence you need to form a rational opinion or
propose a new theory for peer review.
Devil's Advocate
Devil's advocate is the practice of temporarily holding an opinion that is probably false for the purposes of thought
or debate.
Relativism
Related Guides Relativism is the assertion that it is a universal truth that universal truths don't exist. This is a foundation of
Information Analysis postmodern academic thought that currently dominates the social sciences. Relativism means that individuals are
Information free to define reality and nobody can say that they are wrong. This is a convenient assumption for defending
Opinion academic theories and arguing your point.
Opinion
Examples of Facts Skepticism
Fact
Information Skepticism is a high standard of proof for facts. Mild skepticism involves critical thinking to identify flaws in logic
Design Thinking and statistics. It is also possible to take skepticism quite far to argue that all or most human knowledge is subjective
and nonfactual. For example, the argument that we don't really know if everything that we sense and observe is a
simulation.
Belief
Belief is a category of opinion that extends from things such as intuition, trust, values, mysticism and faith that a
society, culture, religion or individual may view as above the observational and logical capacity of humans. For
example, Socrates relied on an inner voice that we might call intuition.
Overview: Opinion
Type Information Analysis
Definition A judgement regarding truth made by an individual, group or institution at a point in time.
Information Analysis »
Cognition
Fact »
Objectivity »
Related Concepts
Rational Thought »
Biases »
Motivated Thinking »
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Cite »
7 Definitions of Opinion
A few definitions of opinion.
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12 Examples of Opinion Writing
An overview of opinion writing with examples.
Opinion
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An overview of opinions with examples and comparisons.
Salience
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An overview of thinking with examples.
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Good Judgement
Complete examples of different types of good judgement.
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6 Examples of Good Judgement »
Salience
The definition of salience with examples.
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Perception
A list of the common types of perception.
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Cognition
The common types of cognition with examples.
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36 Examples of Cognitive Abilities »
Communication
A list of communication techniques.
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Ad Hominem
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Print Media
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Digital Communication
The definition of digital communication with examples.
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18 Examples of Digital Communication »
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The definition of business communication with examples.
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The definition of gaslighting with examples.
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Cruel To Be Kind
The definition of cruel to be kind with examples.
4 Examples of Cruel To Be Kind »
Self Monitoring
The definition of self-monitoring with examples.
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11 Examples of Self Monitoring »
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