In My Honest Opinion

Fun fact: If you look up the phrase "in my opinion" on google you come up with about 39,400,000 hits. It's a common phrase in the English language; even more common when people are discussing controversial topics. No one wants to state their claims as facts unless they really are, so sticking "in my opinion" in front of them makes it a little "safer" for a person to express their thoughts and beliefs without being attacked. Many people are smart about this, steering clear of being arrogant or pushy, but others? Not so much.

You see, although there are plenty of famous quotes and sayings when it comes to opinions ("Opinions are like assholes; everyone has one" being one of my personal favorites), I can't seem to find one that states the obvious: Opinions can be wrong.

I can easily say: "In my humblest of opinions, Martin Luther King Jr. really was a woman in drag." Now, no one can call me out on this and say that I am lying or incorrect, because it is an opinion and not a fact, but no matter how "opinionated" I am on the subject, it doesn't make it true. Therefore, that entire sentence was a pointless waste of time, especially if I uttered it out loud in front of a group of people.

A couple of things that occur when people state their (very wrong) opinions:

Actually, the most important item in that list is in fact the first point—Loss of credibility. You lose that, and you lose whatever figurative leg you were standing on. So in reality, the other points are just consequences from the first.

It irritates me when people state their opinions without giving them basis. If you're going to discuss a controversial issue, make sure you have a reason for your opinion. If your opinion has no basis whatsoever, don't waste my time. Do yourself a favor and do your research. Then make conclusions based on said research.

In the end the important thing is not that you're opinionated, but that you're also educated.