Extensive Reading : DISTINGUISHING FACT FROM OPINION AND BIAS

DISTINGUISHING FACT FROM OPINION AND BIAS

A fact is something which can be verified with evidence. A fact is a statement that can be proven by direct experience or objective verification.  This evidence may be in the form of the testimony of witnesses, agreed-upon observations, the written records of such testimony and observations, or the result of research or investigation. A statement of fact can theoretically be checked for accuracy.

For example : There are 12 inches in a foot, Our cafeteria serves pizza.

An opinion is based on belief and viewpoint. Opinions are often personal interpretations and cannot be verified with evidence. For example, 'summer evenings are nicer than winter evenings'. Opinions are often (though not always) preceded with terms such as 'I think', or with adjectives, comparatives and superlatives, such as, bad, good, nice, beautiful, pretty, better, the best, the highest, the lowest, etc.

For example : A rose is the most beautiful flower, Television commercial are boring.

In addition to knowing the facts and opinion, we as readers must also be vigilant with a true statement of fact and a statement of fact False.  Example of true statement of fact is 'The shopwell has more check-out counters then the A7P' Because it can be verified. Example of false statement of fact is 'Vienna is large city in Germany', this is false because Vienna is in Australia.

When we read critically, we need to be aware of our own bias or prejudice as well as the author’s. To be biased or prejudiced is to have a closed mind about something or someone. We can be so biased about something that we do not allow ourselves to reason and think for ourselves.  For example, we may grow up hearing our parents and friends say negative things about neighbors, religious groups, politicians, others countries, and the like until we begin to believe those things ourselves.

Many of our biases are not based on fact or reasoned judgment but on opinions handed down to us by parents, teachers, and friends. Unfortunately, we don’t always take time to examine the source of our biases and many of us carry unhealthy opinion and prejudices because of it. Most of us carry false beliefs of some type based on our biases.

The words not only have various meanings depending on context, but they also can create feelings and imply a sense of values. Some words help us to stereotype people, places, and ideas. Words give us a kind of visual image or ideas associate with the words; yet they not really have the same meaning for all of us.