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FYS 100 Libguide: Opinions vs Facts

With so much misinformation, disinformation, and fake news, it's important to think critically about everything we see. 

View the above video as a slideshow instead - Opinions vs Facts

Thinking Critically: Opinions versus facts
Look closely at this image: man on left saying
Who is correct?
Answers? Some would say both, some would say it's impossible to know, some would say it depends, some will say must look for context.
Same image (man on left saying
Opinions are like armpits: everybody has them, and some of them stink. Thinking of that image, let's replace the number with an apple, and their guesses of 6 and 9 replaced with the text Good and Bad. Now, we see two differing opinions. Maybe one man owns an apple orchard and bakes delicious pies, while the other one is allergic, or wears braces on this teeth, or simply doesn't care for the flavor. There are no facts to dispute in this image, only differing personal viewpoints to be aware of and try to understand.
In it's pure, original form, the cartoon is a reminder to have empathy, tolerance, and understanding.
Return to original image: man on left saying
Opinions are not facts. The previous version of the cartoon is likely one that you may have seen online. But not everything is an opinion. Some things are facts. Let's replace that number on the ground with an earth. One man says
In that form, the cartoon has been misconstrued as justification for people to express hatred and/or ignorance, or to place opinions and facts on the same level.
So, back to the original image: man on left saying
There is, in fact, a correct answer. Someone wrote that number for a specific reason. These characters need to pause. They need to maybe back up a bit to orient themselves. They need to discover if there are any other numbers to align it with, perhaps a driveway or a building. Maybe they can determine if there is someone around who actually knows why the number is there, and what it is or what it refers to. They could look at the history of the space where it is located and try to seek out authoritative sources on what it stands for or refers to. Because in most instances, there is one right answer and one wrong answer. It's your job to figure it out, not to blindly accept it.
Those steps are an example of the research process. Our uninformed opinions either get reinforced or challenged based on what we learn. As we read and learn and view the scholarly information, we find that our original opinions are becoming more evolved, our analysis is changing, our ideas are more academic, and our opinions are becoming based on fact, rather than emotion.This is how research is accomplished. This is how we think critically about the information with which we are presented.
This is why we must think critically. It is true that in certain instances, there are unanswered questions. But many things are final (at least until further research changes things), and when we have uninformed opinions about things that we don't understand, we can not - we must not - claim that our opinion is equally as valid as the facts that have been researched, studied, proven, and solidified.
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