Reading Tip of the Week: Fact and Opinion

Do you know the difference between a fact and an opinion? In a nutshell, you can't argue with a fact, but you can argue with an opinion.

For example, 2 + 2 = 4. That's a fact. It has always been a fact, and it will always be a fact. No one can change it. It doesn't matter whether you are talk about grains of sand or entire planets. Two somethings plus two somethings equals four somethings. Period. You can't disagree with it, because it's absolutely true. (That's why math facts are called math facts!)

On the other hand, if I say, "Titanic is a great movie," someone - maybe even you - might have hated that movie. That person would disagree with my opinion and have one of his or her own! If you can argue or disagree, it's an opinion.

Think about witnesses in a courtroom. They are only supposed to give facts - what they saw or heard. They are not supposed to give their opinions. They can say, "I saw the defendent take money out of the cash register," because if that's what happened, it's the truth. They can't say, "The defendent is a nice guy," because other people may not agree.