How do you determine your position, your opinion on a matter? What is the deciding factor that makes you take a particular stand on an issue? Is it a person or your experience or….??? Is it a reasoned opinion? Have you thought it out or are you responding based on feelings or instinct or…??? Regardless, ultimately it is one person’s opinion – shared or not.
Equally important is the method you used to arrived at your opinion. Did you study the subject? Did you listen to someone you respect or a friend or a foe and reiterate what was said (or the opposite of what was said)? Or is your opinion based on your impression at the moment – thus open to change?
When asked, “What do you think…?” How do you respond? The ‘what’ of your response is important, but so is the ‘how’. ‘How’ speaks more to the emotional side: angry, laughing, matter-of-fact, irritated, passionate, etc. And your ‘how’ underscores your words – it gives the listener the depth of your opinion. The ‘what’ is the context of your response – your actual words: articulate, logical, reasoned, unreasoned, step-by-step, incoherent, etc. Your argument related to the subject is your ‘what’. But unless your message is understood then it might as well be in an unknown language.
Bottom line is your standard – because this is the most important determinant of your opinion. If there is a dichotomy between your opinion and your standard then one or the other has to be changed. Each calls the other to accounting. Unless your standard is cavalier or unthinking then your opinion will be reasoned. At least this is my opinion….
