A Matter of Fact

[Abaddon]

When exactly does an opinion become a fact?

Isn't an opinion just a fact that isn't accepted by everyone? And if that's true when do these opinions become facts?


Example 1:

Martin Lawrence is not funny.

Most would say this a matter of personal tastes, but is it possible that there's an objective way of viewing humor?

True,opinions are subjective isn't there a gray area?(What the hell happened to the poster anyway?)

Example 2:

Paul Walker is a bad actor.

Is that strictly limited to personal tastes or does it require general consensus?

If it's the former then the use of term "IMO" which is so common is unnecessary. However,there are still numerous issues in either case.

If someone disagree's you with something you feel is undoubtedly true, does that make what you believe fact an opinion?

 

[Tsunulia]

How can you think so philosophicaly so late?

 

[Abaddon]

How can you think so philosophicaly so late?

It's something that came to mind a week or so ago,I just decided to make the thread now.

 

[Tangled Web]

Paul Walker is a bad actor. That is fact. Viewing whether or not someone is funny or not, depends on who is viewing. For acting it's different. Actors try to act in a realistic way that convinces the viewer that what they are acting out is life like, Paul Walker fails in that department, therefore Paul Walker is a bad actor.

 

[Abaddon]

Paul Walker is a bad actor. That is fact. Viewing whether or not someone is funny or not, depends on who is viewing. For acting it's different. Actors try to act in a realistic way that convinces the viewer that what they are acting out is life like, Paul Walker fails in that department, therefore Paul Walker is a bad actor.

But if he can be convincing to at least one person then it is not a fact.

 

[Tsunulia]

But if he can be convincing to at least one person then it is not a fact.

Key word, IF. Which is not probable.

 

[Tangled Web]

But if he can be convincing to at least one person then it is not a fact.

Yeah, but there are people who are convinced the earth is flat.

 

[Abaddon]

Key word, IF. Which is not probable.

We can't deal in absolutes when it comes to human beings.

 

[Tsunulia]

We can't deal in absolutes when it comes to human beings.

Probable is not an absolute. Impossible is an absolute. Probable is not likley.

 

[Abaddon]

Yeah, but there are people who are convinced the earth is flat.

and we can prove that it isn't.


not to stray from the point,but if they believed this for religious/spiritual reasons than can it still be disputed?

 

[Abaddon]

Probable is not an absolute. Impossible is an absolute. Probable is not likley.

I meant that in regards to the "if" .

 

[Tsunulia]

I meant that in regards to the "if" .

Ah. It's too late for me to be thinking

 

[War Lord]

It's an opinion until I say otherwise.

 

[Abaddon]

It's an opinion until I say otherwise.

You just said it

 

[War Lord]

You just said it

Than it became a fact.

 

[Abaddon]

If you say otherwise again will it become an opinion again,or will the universe collapse into itself?

 

[SuperFerret]

Very deep line of thought.

If there is not an objective way to look at something, than it cannot be a fact, it must be a subjective opinion. But if someone has a viewpoint other than the consensus, the very basics of reality can be viewed as subjective.

This color is called blue. But if I was raised to think of it as orange then is blue really blue, or is it blue because of a consensus?

 

[War Lord]

If you say otherwise again will it become an opinion again,or will the universe collapse into itself?

Only if I say that it is no longer a fact.

 

[Tsunulia]

Very deep line of thought.

If there is not an objective way to look at something, than it cannot be a fact, it must be a subjective opinion. But if someone has a viewpoint other than the consensus, the very basics of reality can be viewed as subjective.

This color is called blue. But if I was raised to think of it as orange then is blue really blue, or is it blue because of a consensus?

Enter the Evangelion instrumentality mode of thinking....

 

[Kent]

Facts conform to what is real. Opinion conforms to what people think is real.

 

[Abaddon]

Very deep line of thought.

If there is not an objective way to look at something, than it cannot be a fact, it must be a subjective opinion. But if someone has a viewpoint other than the consensus, the very basics of reality can be viewed as subjective.

This color is called blue. But if I was raised to think of it as orange then is blue really blue, or is it blue because of a consensus?

In that case it would be the latter,but you wouldn't be wrong either.

 

[Abaddon]

Facts conform to what is real. Opinion conforms to what people think is real.

So in other words they are exactly the same.

 

[Silverstein]

You asked a good question. And it's an awesome thought but it can't be answered simply because of the question itself. If I say "yes", opinions are facts. Then that would be my opinion. Likewise if I said no. So the "fact" of this question is relative to whomever is answering it. Which would, in and of itself create an answer. I can't answer it. But I can give you one idea.

Reality is that which, when you stop beliving in it, it doesn't go away. It's a quote from an author I like. So regardless of our opinions, the "fact" would stay true anyway.

Example:

Martin lawrence is a bad actor.

that may be an opinion. But if the defintion of being a good actor is a mixture of sales, popularity, and the ability to captivate and entertain the audience; then the FACT would be that he is not. His movies recently have been making very little, he isn't verry popular, and he can not captivate or entertain the audience because his movies aren't popular and he isn't making much money from them. Compared to Ewan Mcgregor, a good actor, the facts are clear.

Example 2:

Lewis Black is hilarious

Hilarity would be someone's ability to make people laugh. He is very famous, and his shows are often sold out. People laugh at his jokes. This would be proof of the fact that he IS funny. If someone didn't like him that would make them the minority and their opinion would be contradicting the "fact", thus prooving their view as only an opinion.

People can ignore facts and find ways to fight them, to proove their opinion..


I think. I'm so confused.

 

[Incrediblejeff]

Disagree with Example 1.

 

[Abaddon]

You asked a good question. And it's an awesome thought but it can't be answered simply because of the question itself. If I say "yes", opinions are facts. Then that would be my opinion. Likewise if I said no. So the "fact" of this question is relative to whomever is answering it. Which would, in and of itself create an answer. I can't answer it. But I can give you one idea.

Reality is that which, when you stop beliving in it, it doesn't go away. It's a quote from an author I like. So regardless of our opinions, the "fact" would stay true anyway.

Example:

Martin lawrence is a bad actor.

that may be an opinion. But if the defintion of being a good actor is a mixture of sales, popularity, and the ability to captivate and entertain the audience; then the FACT would be that he is not. His movies recently have been making very little, he isn't verry popular, and he can not captivate or entertain the audience because his movies aren't popular and he isn't making much money from them. Compared to Ewan Mcgregor, a good actor, the facts are clear.

Example 2:

Lewis Black is hilarious

Hilarity would be someone's ability to make people laugh. He is very famous, and his shows are often sold out. People laugh at his jokes. This would be proof of the fact that he IS funny. If someone didn't like him that would make them the minority and their opinion would be contradicting the "fact", thus prooving their view as only an opinion.

People can ignore facts and find ways to fight them, to proove their opinion..


I think. I'm so confused.

So then you believe that facts are dependent on the majority's opinions?

If someone didn't like him that would make them the minority and their opinion would be contradicting the "fact", thus prooving their view as only an opinion.

that still invalidates what everyone accepts as fact.