Question the Source.
A fact is something known to be true an opinion is something said by someone it could be true or false.
An opinion is what someone thinks. It could be incorrect because they were misinformed or are deliberately lying to influence you.
Question, have they an ulterior motive? Who is this person, can they be trusted, what are their qualifications and are they in a rational state of mind?
Assumptions and opinions can cause stress. Stress creates strong emotions and emotions strengthen our opinions. Someone walks past me in the street without speaking. Do I think, this person does not like me? This is not a fact; the fact is ‘they walked past me.’ It could be they did not see me. Knowing the facts helps us make wise unemotional decisions. We should ascertain if it is a fact, opinion, fiction, rumour, speculation or a lie before making a decision.
It may not be a proven fact and could be an opinion. There are verifiable opinions, expert opinions and personal opinions. A Verifiable opinion is valid. An expert opinion is made by a person that has studied the subject and is an authority. A personal opinion, what a person believes is governed by his values, beliefs and emotions. We must ask where did this statement come from, did it come from the media? Then ask who owns the media, who has vested interest in these stories? An editor earns his living doing what the person in charge wants and he will be out of a job if he goes against the boss.
We need to think seriously about this because people like Rupert Murdoch own the media; you have to be sceptical when you know his history. It is interesting reading, though he would rather you read his newspaper or watch a soap opera on TV than read up on Wikipedia. This is an outline of what you will read on Wikipedia about him.
He inherited News Corporation, the second largest media conglomerate. He has been accused of hacking the phones of celebrities, royalty and the public. Refer to the Leveson Enquiry. He faced police and government investigation for bribery and corruption by the British Government and US FBI. He has a history of biased political support. If you like a love story there is something for you he has had three wives. The truth is hard to ascertain when we blithely listen to comment from the media.
There have been many distortions of the truth. I was told to fear people who are now our friends and trading partners. Any source of information that uses advertising to finance its operation is to be questioned. Do not believe all you see and hear no matter where it came from. Although this is my personal opinion, as I am not on anyone’s pay-roll. You should still question it, by searching out the facts from a reliable source.