It's popular, when being disagreed with

[conuly]

(especially by somebody who can spell better than you can, although that may just be my personal prejudices showing) to claim that, since it's "just an opinion" it's somehow not fair, right, or sensible to point out the flaws in your logic.

Apparently, "It's just my opinion" is a get-out-of-jail-free card for statements like "The world is only 20 days old" or "The WTC was blown up by little green men, but it's been hushed up" or "Ur a idiot".

On a whim, I checked what Merriam-Webster had to say about it...

Huh! Funnily enough, they don't list "can't be right or wrong" as a criteria for "being an opinion"! In fact, most amusingly, they say that "OPINION implies a conclusion thought out yet open to dispute", where dispute means, ah yes - "1 a : verbal controversy : DEBATE b : QUARREL"

So, with that evidence in mind, I believe I shall hold fast to my opinion - "When talking about anything more substantial than your favorite color, if it's not based on some form of evidence, it's up for debate".

Don't like it? At the very least, pick a better tagline than "Just an opinion!!!!" Perhaps "...and I don't want to argue about it, so don't bother talking to me unless you agree". That seems fair, I've got opinions I don't wish to discuss. Some of them, I even keep to myself.

Comments

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

I tend to use the following:

"Just my opinion" is not Super Special Internets Code that means "You can't challenge me, nyah nyah."

Why did you think saying that it was "just your opinion" meant anything to me? Did you think I'd suddenly go "Holy sharkbites, it's her OPINION! Well, can't correct or challenge her there, it's an OPINION! Might as well go swallow my tongue."

Just because you say "that's only my opinion, and I'm entitled to it", it does not mean that no one can ever oppose what you say.

Just because you say, "It's my opinion" doesn't mean I can't say, "Well, your opinion couldn't be more ignorant if you smashed your head between a car tire and the asphalt."

I'm a colorful person, I am. (Edited out the cursing, not sure how you feel bout that.)

[conuly]

I figure that so long as you're not using cursing as a substitute for thinking, spelling correctly, or coming up with something interesting to say - then we're all adults here, or good enough as. (But I really hate when people f*ke c*rse. That's stupid.)

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

Gotcha.

[xianghua.livejournal.com]

I heart you.

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

<does the Connie is awesome dance>

[peaseblossom03.livejournal.com]

"You are entitled to your own opinions, sir, but you're not entitled to your own facts." --Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynahan

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

I tend to use the following:

"Just my opinion" is not Super Special Internets Code that means "You can't challenge me, nyah nyah."

Why did you think saying that it was "just your opinion" meant anything to me? Did you think I'd suddenly go "Holy sharkbites, it's her OPINION! Well, can't correct or challenge her there, it's an OPINION! Might as well go swallow my tongue."

Just because you say "that's only my opinion, and I'm entitled to it", it does not mean that no one can ever oppose what you say.

Just because you say, "It's my opinion" doesn't mean I can't say, "Well, your opinion couldn't be more ignorant if you smashed your head between a car tire and the asphalt."

I'm a colorful person, I am. (Edited out the cursing, not sure how you feel bout that.)

[conuly]

I figure that so long as you're not using cursing as a substitute for thinking, spelling correctly, or coming up with something interesting to say - then we're all adults here, or good enough as. (But I really hate when people f*ke c*rse. That's stupid.)

[kittikattie.livejournal.com]

Gotcha.

[xianghua.livejournal.com]

I heart you.

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

<does the Connie is awesome dance>

[peaseblossom03.livejournal.com]

"You are entitled to your own opinions, sir, but you're not entitled to your own facts." --Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynahan