{"id":21641,"date":"2016-02-16T19:43:25","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T19:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=21641"},"modified":"2026-03-28T11:35:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:35:29","slug":"how-to-tell-the-difference-between-facts-and-opinions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-facts-and-opinions\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact and Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_5zsrOWwt508\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_5zsrOWwt508\" data-source-videoID=\"5zsrOWwt508\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Fact and Opinion Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Fact and Opinion\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_5zsrOWwt508:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_5zsrOWwt508 {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/102-facts-and-opinions-2.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_5zsrOWwt508\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_5zsrOWwt508\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Fact and Opinion\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_5zsrOWwt508\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_5zsrOWwt508\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_5zsrOWwt508\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction xct_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"xct\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"xct_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"xct\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Difference_between_Fact_and_Opinion\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Difference between Fact and Opinion<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Fact_and_Opinion_Examples\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Fact and Opinion Examples<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Hey, guys! Welcome to this video on facts vs. opinions.<\/p>\n<p>This can be a touchy subject for some, because a lot of us (probably most of us) are convinced that our opinions are facts.<\/p>\n<p>In this video, we are going to do a careful examination of the difference between a fact and an opinion and then we will take a look at a few examples.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Difference_between_Fact_and_Opinion\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Difference between Fact and Opinion<\/h2>\n<p>\nFirst, let\u2019s review some definitions.<\/p>\n<p>Here is how Merriam-Webster defines them:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">An <strong>opinion<\/strong> is \u201ca view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0em;\">A <strong>fact<\/strong> is \u201ca thing done, something that has actual existence, a piece of information presented as having objective reality, or always objectively true.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nSo, facts are things that are undeniably true and are based on evidence. Like the fact that a golden retriever is a dog. No one in their right mind would try to debate that it is a cat or a dragon.<\/p>\n<p>Our opinions are based on our ability to perceive and interpret our experiences of the world around us. For instance, I think warm peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is the best-tasting dessert in the whole world.<\/p>\n<p>This is my opinion. Not everyone likes peaches, ice cream, vanilla-flavored ice cream, or sweet sugary things.<\/p>\n<p>Opinions tend to catch a bad rap. You may have heard people say \u201cyour opinion doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d or \u201cthat\u2019s just your opinion\u201d as a means of disqualifying what you have said. Well, these statements are true. In the big picture, they really don\u2019t matter. However, our opinions are special because they can be expressions of our preferences and life experiences.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Fact_and_Opinion_Examples\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Fact and Opinion Examples<\/h2>\n<p>\nThere are two big things to be aware of when discussing opinions. First, our opinions should be conformed to facts.<\/p>\n<p>What I mean when I say this is that if I were to look at a dog and say \u201cthat is a cat,\u201d for various reasons, that dog is still objectively a dog. Because I hold a view that when put up against a fact is wrong, it is exposed as my opinion and thus should be conformed to the objective fact. My mind needs to change, because the fact isn\u2019t changing. It\u2019s a fact; it\u2019s reality.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, outside of objective facts, opinions are okay to hold, and to some people, your opinions do matter. People&#8217;s opinions are important in that they can help us to know that person better. Like, you guys now know that I like peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream.<\/p>\n<p>You are allowed to have an opinion about how you think things taste, music style preferences, favorite movies, favorite color, etc. However, when you start to hold the opinion that gasoline isn\u2019t flammable, it\u2019s time to conform to the objective truth that it is indeed flammable and probably stay as far away from all humans until you figure that one out.<\/p>\n<p>Another important note is that just because the overwhelming majority holds an opinion, or even if everyone holds an opinion, that does not make something a fact. As much as we would like to have the authoritative power to turn our opinions into facts, it doesn\u2019t work that way. A good example of this is when everyone thought the world was flat. Almost everyone was convinced that it was flat, because, based on what we could see and our visual experience of the world, it appeared to be that way.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is in fact, a sphere, as later discovered.<\/p>\n<p>I hope this video was helpful. See you next time!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/reading-comprehension\/\">Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":91102,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-21641","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-reading-comprehension-videos","7":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21641"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":280997,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/21641\/revisions\/280997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}