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We tread the line between opinion and judgment a lot in social media. Some are quick to call out others as being “too judgmental” when their own beliefs or opinions are being challenged. There’s no point in getting all bent out of shape over something as seemingly mundane as text on a screen, especially when we are putting our thoughts out there to be judged in the first place. Yet there is still some question as to how one should present themselves in a way that is both unaggressive and adds to the conversation.
The only difference between a judgment and an opinion is the existence of evidence to support an opinion therefore making it final or absolute. There is nothing wrong with a judgment of this type, however, the problem arises when we judge others in an aggressive tone.
Opinion: You might get more readers if you improved on the quality of your writing.
Judgement: You are not getting a lot of readers because of the quality of your writing.
Aggressive Judgement: Your content sucks so you are not getting any readers.
Opinions usually leave room for error in your thought process therefore leaving the recipient a little more at ease. Sometimes it’s as easy as adding words like might, i think, probably, maybe, etc. It seems kind of silly, but in a space where it’s so hard to express tone, it’s important to express these emotions through words.
So, in my opinion, the line between opinion and judgment is when we use an aggressive, absolute tone while expressing one’s thoughts. I personally don’t have a problem with judgments because I can see them for what they are … opinions expressed as facts. For the rest of the world, accept the fact that you might not know everything and leave some room for doubt. Doubt is ultimately what pushes us to explore further into our minds, and is there anything wrong with that?
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Comments
09.11.09
A key issue, I think, is that people aren't careful with their use of language. For example, I often hear "judgment" and "judgmental" used as if they were interchangeable--which they aren't.
We really ought to be using our judgment, which is not the same as an opinion backed up by facts. Really, opinions aren't really worth much if they aren't backed up by facts. Judgment, on the other hand, comes from weighing pros, cons, and likely outcomes, and then making a reasoned decision based on that evaluation. Being judgmental has to do with excessively and unnecessarily harsh evaluations.
"Ice cream tastes good" is an opinion.
"After thinking about my goals, I've decided to eat (or pass up) this bowl of ice cream" is a judgment.
"People who eat too much ice cream are losers" is judgmental.
09.11.09
Thanks for your thoughts Kate. I personally am still trying to fully wrap my mind around the subtle differences between what are essentially just words. My main point was that we need to be aware of tone when replying to others in social media and by leaving ourselves an "out" we might all get along better.
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