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What do you think of the term "I'm entitled to my opinion!" ?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Fullofsurprises, Mar 10, 2016.

  1. Do you think it's accurate? In my other thread, I talked about receiving a lot of hurtful comments and misjudgments in my life. People will defend themselves by saying, "I'm saying entitled to my opinion!" Okay, but don't you think others are entitled to disagree with your opinion or evaluate it? Isn't the other person you're taking to entitled to their opinion too? If something is unfounded, why are we obligated to adopt your opinion? I'm not trying to be rude, but I think you can present facts or offer a different perspective nicely.


    The things is that I've also grown up around people that think it's okay for them to say what they want, but it's not okay for me to say what I want. If I do express myself, I'm met with the "I am entitled to my opinion!"

    Mind others, I have played dumb by acting sweet and saying "thank you for sharing. I get your point", when someone shared opinions that I blatantly disagreed with. But, that led people to think that I was mindless and couldn't think for myself. I just didn't want to hurt that person's feelings and cause conflict.

    Regarding the opinions of mine that have gotten people pissed off, some people don't like it when I point out that bisexuals can be monogamous. They also don't like it when I refuse to believe that all men and women are the same. I think everyone is an individual that doesn't always fit their gender stereotype. I also feel that some of our friends can give bad relationship advice.


    Thoughts? Can someone at least maybe explain what this phrase means? It gets confusing when people throw it at you. Are we not supposed to share our opinions and just keep quiet?
     
    #1 Fullofsurprises, Mar 10, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2016
  2. Kinky

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    It's redundant. Funnily enough, you can actually say "You're entitled to your opinion (The unspoken meaning: It's crap, but you keep it)" right back at them. It carries a very patronizing edge. How wonderful language is.
     
  3. Hehe, that's cute. I'm going to try that.
     
  4. Eveline

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    I think when someone can't really give a rational reason for an opinion that they hold the best way to justify it is to say that they have the right to hold such an opinion and as such they don't really need to give good reasons for having it. It's just a way to avoid having to admit that they are wrong... when it is said to you, you've pretty much won but they don't want to admit it. :icon_wink
     
    #4 Eveline, Mar 10, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2016
  5. ThatBorussenGuy

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    "Sure, you're entitled to your opinion. That does not mean your opinion is correct, nor that it is immune from criticism."
     
  6. Secrets5

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    Everyone is entitled to their opinion, as long as they can justify why they hold that opinion. Having an opinion without justifying it, in my opinion, is weak and not fully understood by the person who holds it as here has to be a reason why someone holds an opinion, otherwise why would they hold it [?]. I think every opinion has entitlement to be said, and every opinion is open to criticism. Without different opinion and people being entitled to them, then things will stay the same and this could mean that people are oppressed [whether they are in the majority or minority in terms of numbers]. If an opinion is hurtful to an individual or oppresses a group, then I think someone has a responsibility to find out why they hold that opinion even if it's deemed hurtful. There are some opinions, however, that can be falsified. For example, the opinion that ''all swans are white'' can be falsified by the one sighting of a black swan, and therefore that opinion is no longer valid. However, other opinions are more two-sided and can falsify each other. For example, the opinion that ''abortion is wrong'' all lies in where you think life begins; in the womb or after the umbilical chord is severed from the 'host'[?].

    Also, what is 'moral' right and wrong[?] When different countries, different people have a different belief in what is 'moral' right and wrong[?]. In my opinion, these are socially constructed, as the 'moral' rules weren't there before we as humanity were. And overtime this can change as morality and new 'biological' or 'Earth' rules are formed. But what 'Earth' rules should we listen to[?]. In science there is a paradigm which is fundamental rules that scientists live by, if one scientist try to claim a new paradigm without a paradigm revolution then they are shunted by the community ... but what if their paradigm was right and could find right/wrong altering information [?].

    There's reference to my AQA A2 sociology 2009 edition book by Weber et al.

    What do you think?

    Please note that I'm inclined to arguing because I like to see what people say in response to it, so please don't be too annoyed if I reply to you back and forth a couple of times being seemingly impossible to reason with.
     
    #6 Secrets5, Mar 10, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2016
  7. Well written. I agree with the idea that an opinion can be challenged or refuted. That's precisely my point. When I've presented information to someone's opinion, that's when the "I am entitled to my opinion!" statement comes in. If you're entitled to your opinion, you can't expect everyone to blindly agree with you. If an opinion is based on weak evidence or jumping to conclusions, someone might correct you. If someone can form a supportive argument to back up their opinions, I'm more likely to be understanding.

    I also feel that a people have a right to be hurt at one's opinion. Denying someone's feelings is like gas-lighting to me. If someone is upset, they are upset. I definitely feel upset at people thinking that all bisexuals cheat, but I understand that I can't change their opinion. I can present facts to that person, such as how there are actual case examples of bisexuals being in monogamous relationships and how straight people arent immune to cheating.

    ---------- Post added 10th Mar 2016 at 08:15 AM ----------

    When you say that someone's opinion is incorrect, that's when some people get mad.
     
    #7 Fullofsurprises, Mar 10, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2016
  8. Libertino

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    I think that it is a cop-out that people use when they know they are losing an argument or have only weak defense for their opinion. It's also used to avoid having to defend or argue one's opinion. As others have said being "entitled" to an opinion does not mean that it is correct or even valid. And that is difficult for some people to hear and realize.
     

  9. I try to be empathic and understanding, so I feel bad if someone tells me that I'm being dismissive if I say an opinion is invalid. Everytime I played dumb, I just didn't want to hurt someone's feelings.
     
  10. Matto_Corvo

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    This.
     
  11. Invidia

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    I think critique and levelled discussion is very fruitful.

    Sometimes, however, when people say "I'm entitled to my opinion!" I simply feel that no, you're not. That's in the case of bullshit opinions such as "All homos should be hanged." That's an extreme case, but there are people who think and say that. And I do not think such opinions deserve respect in any way. So sometimes I don't think that people are entitled to their opinions.

    ---------- Post added 10th Mar 2016 at 06:11 PM ----------

    I think critique and levelled discussion is very fruitful.

    Sometimes, however, when people say "I'm entitled to my opinion!" I simply feel that no, you're not. That's in the case of bullshit opinions such as "All homos should be hanged."* That's an extreme case, but there are people who think and say that. And I do not think such opinions deserve respect in any way. So sometimes I don't think that people are entitled to their opinions.
    *sorry for strong language, just trying to prove a point
     
  12. Libertino

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    I guess it depends on your approach. Simply telling someone their opinion is wrong or invalid probably isn't going to go down well, but making a coherent argument against their opinion and illustrating why it might be so valid is more convincing way to do it. At the same time, if they then respond with their proclamations of "entitlement" perhaps they are insecure about the fact that they are not as confident or informed about their opinion as they originally thought.
     
  13. I probably should clarify. I don't bluntly tell someone that they're wrong, but I have explained why I disagree with an opinion. When I do that, a person may feel that I'm dismissing them. I will give you an example, if you don't mind:

    A former friend of mine (no longer a friend, because she has a severe personality disorder) had told me, "You need to set some boundaries for yourself. You tend to speak your mind to everyone."

    I told her, "how is that possible, when most people have called me quiet, private and reserved? Just because I open up to you doesn't mean that I am open with everyone else." She gave me a blank look and then said that she's entitled to her opinion. When I asked her why she made the assumption that she did, she said that she was just trying to help. I was hoping that she could give specific examples.

    Another example is when a female friend told me, "your ex looks like one of those guys that masturvates in the high school bathroom thinking about weird stuff." Her logic was that she could say what she wanted, because I no longer dating him. I told her the actual facts about how he's sexually healthy. She again said that she's entitled to her opinion and that she doesn't have to like my ex. Okay.

    I hope that makes sense. I am only open on online forums, because I'm anonymous. I don't share this stuff with other people that I've just met. I have to really get to know someone and feel comfortable with them, before I start to share.
     
    #13 Fullofsurprises, Mar 10, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2016
  14. Browncoat

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    "And I'm entitled to not give a f---."
     
  15. PrivateUser

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    I'm one of the nasty people, clearly. I tell people that even the minority are entitled to their opinion, whether educated, intelligent or just a heaving pile of stinky poo.

    This upsets some people - I cannot imagine why - but since I am entitled to my opinion of their opinion....
     
  16. Reciprocal

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    I think that everyone IS entitled to their opinion: it's free speech, and that's a human right! But I don't think free speech goes as far as being directly mean to someone. If someone wants to stand on a soapbox and preach about how awful LGBT people are, go ahead, it's their opinion. By the same token, other people can argue back, they are also entitled to their opinion.

    But going up to someone and saying to their face that they are awful isn't free speech, it's just mean.
     
  17. rudysteiner

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    It becomes invalid the second it's used to express an opinion that discriminates against any minority, i.e. POC, LGBT+.
     
  18. Right. This "I'm entitled to my opinion and don't be so defensive" was used when two older divorced straight men stated that most men wouldn't want to marry a bisexual woman, because they can't stay faithful. I think that's not nice and also a over-generalizing statement to make. Have those two men met every man in the world to know? When I told them that I knew bisexual women that were married to men that accepted them, they said "I don't care what you heard. I'm standing by what I said." Okay, buddy.
     
  19. MCairo

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    Everyone's entitled to have their opinion. The problem is that some people don't want to hear anyone who disagrees with them. And you know what? They have that right as well, but don't expect others not to judge you.
     
    #19 MCairo, Mar 10, 2016
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  20. SHACH

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    It's bullshit. I am always very strong with my opinions and will argue for them but I've never felt a reason to say that phrase or anything like it. If the only way for you to defend your opinion is to just try and take away people's right to challenge it then your opinion obviously sucks. The phrase is true but redundant in every situation. There's no legitimate reason to say it.