Rumors, Facts, Opinions, and Beliefs
In my opinion, a fact can be verified objectively. We can determine whether it is true by researching or discovering the evidence to prove it. Facts provide strong support for an argument. An opinion is a judgment or an honest attempt to draw a reasonable conclusion from factual evidence. As I said, "In my opinion, a fact or truth is verifiable", I attempted to draw a reasonable conclusion. However, an opinion is changeable, depending on how the evidence is interpreted. For instance, the recent(2022) oil price is going up rapidly. The higher price is a verifiable fact because we actually pay for the higher prices. But, there might be multiple opinions about what caused this event such as inflation, war, demand and supply, technology, or scarcity. And, depending on what you believe and research, you may arrive at your opinion. Therefore, what you believe is influencing your opinion since a belief is a conviction based on cultural or personal faith, morality, or values(RegisteredNursing.org Staff Writers, 2022). Moreover, a rumor is a story or statement in circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts(Dictionary.com, 2022). However, rumors often come to mind with truth, rather than falsehoods, because people generally believe that "Where there’s smoke, there’s fire". Only a few people take their time or effort to research or discover the truth. After all, the smoke can also from a hookah pot or hot water.
Distinguish Them If You Are A Leader
I believe that as a leader, the ability to distinguish between rumor, belief, opinion, and facts is a must-have skill or mindset. Oftentimes, leaders have to make tons of decisions daily. These decisions can be dead or live decisions for an organization or a company. For example, since Microsoft found in 1975, Microsoft has accumulated a pile of failures to go along with its list of smash hits. Some of those flops were inconsequential, while other larger missteps were so significant, they likely helped bolster the fortunes of companies such as Apple and Alphabet(Brad Moon, 2018). An epic Microsoft flop that still rankles Microsoft investors is the Lumia smartphone. Microsoft acquired Nokia’s smartphone business for $7 billion in 2014. However, by Q3 2017, Microsoft’s quarterly smartphone revenue had dropped to $5 million. Learning from this failure, as a leader, we have to understand whether our decisions are based on facts, beliefs, opinions, or even just a rumor. When a leader seeks suggestions or tries to find data for making a big decision, he(or she) has to carefully evaluate those suggestions and determine which one has the strongest support from facts, or at least, does not come from a rumor. Notices that it is good to have diverse opinions since opinions generally mean viewpoints, although they are not absolutely based on facts or evidence. But, good opinions all have the potential to become the best solution. In addition, those suggestions may also include some beliefs that come from different experiences and values. As mentioned above, belief is influencing your opinion since a belief is a conviction based on cultural or personal faith and morality. Understanding the sources of those suggestions and possible solutions is crucial to a leader.
________________________________________________________________________
References
Brad Moon, I. P. (2018, March 27). Microsoft's 15 biggest flops. Kiplinger. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/t057-s001-microsoft-s-15-biggest-flops-of-all-time/index.html
Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Rumor definition & meaning. Dictionary.com. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/rumor
RegisteredNursing.org Staff Writers, R. N. S. (2022, February 4). Distinguishing between fact and opinion, biases, and stereotypes: Teas. RegisteredNursing.org. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.registerednursing.org/teas/distinguishing-between-fact-opinion-biases-stereotypes/
Posts
