Opinions vs. Facts

Let’s talk about the difference between opinions and facts.

o·pin·ion /əˈpinyən/ noun

noun: opinion; plural noun: opinions

a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

fact /fakt/ noun

noun: fact; plural noun: facts

a thing that is known or proved to be true.

Now, anyone who knows me knows I have A LOT of opinions. And I am not afraid to share them. A few that come to mind are:

✔ Every living, breathing person deserves basic human rights — food and water, shelter, love, respect, basic healthcare.

✔ Every person should be allowed to live their lives as they choose (within the law).

✔ People are create equal.
Black, white, brown.
Gay, straight, or both! (GASP!)
Rich, poor, middle class.
Catholic, Jewish, Agnostic.

✔ Women determine what happens with their bodies.

✔ No citizen should be allowed to own semi-automatic weapons and all citizens should have to pass a mental health exam and criminal background check to own any gun.

✔ All children deserve a chance to receive a good education. And all parents deserve a chance to provide for their children.

⬆ Those are my opinions, the short list. ⬆

Other examples of opinions:
I prefer BBQ sauce A over BBQ sauce B. I like it’s tanginess!
I enjoy driving an SUV over driving a car.
Sunflowers are my favorite flower. (I do love sunflowers!)

A few things that are NOT opinions:

Racism: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.
Misogyny: dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.
Slut-Shaming: the action or fact of stigmatizing a woman for engaging in behavior judged to be promiscuous or sexually provocative.

I like to think I’m an empath.

One who experiences the emotions of others: a person who has empathy for others.

One thing I am NOT is someone who exhibits apathy.
Lack of feeling or emotion: IMPASSIVENESS

Why is it so hard to care about others? Why is it so difficult to put yourself in a situation that isn’t yours? Think about this:

Thousands of people are waiting in lines to get food to feed their families. Many of those people were opening 401K statements two months ago feeling proud of what they’ve saved and accomplished. Now they’re using them as fuel for their backyard firepits.

A lot are homeowners with big mortgage payments and nice cars are in a situation they never imagined in their worst nightmares. Even more were already living paycheck to paycheck before COVID-19 and have no other source to get food except food banks. If you’re judging them I suggest you volunteer a few hours and hand out those boxes. You might learn something, not only about the people in line, but about yourself.

Things have changed so much in the last four years — or maybe I just started paying closer attention. If so, shame on me.

What I’m trying to say, in a really long, drawn out blog entry, is STOP and ask yourself, “What if I saw things from their view?” and “What if what is happening to them was happening to me, or to someone I love?”

And PLEASE for the love everything decent, learn the difference between FACTS and OPINIONS.