Quote:
What is the value of an opinion? In a world devoid of absolute certainty, everyone’s beliefs have at least a miniscule possibility of being true. While I do not accept that any beliefs are absolutely true or absolutely false, some opinions have more validity — that is, more probability of being correct — than others. These are the informed opinions: those based on observation, rational consideration, and knowledge of the relevant background material.
Whose opinions are more informed than others? In general, anyone who possesses a lot of knowledge of the background material for a certain event or situation and who has devoted considerable time and effort to observing and analyzing that event or situation. Anyone can fit these criteria, from blog readers to the President of the United States. But in particular, people who are professionals in a field with relevance to the particular situation are uniquely suited to opine publicly on the issue. Their background comes with certifiable credentials; in the course of pursuing their daily occupation, they have imbibed enough of the background material and considered enough of the issues that they are qualified, without compromising their professional disinterestedness in their daily work, to present their informed opinions to the public.
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“Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi