[glok]

Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods. ~Albert Einstein
“The belief that there is only one truth, and that oneself is in possession of it, is the root of all evil in the world” ~Max Born
The belief that one's own view of reality is the only reality is the most dangerous of all delusions. ~Paul Watzlawick
"If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things." ~Rene Descartes

We have opinions. Sometimes, it is difficult to see a distinction between an opinion and a fact. Albeit, how do we form or acquire our opinions?

o·pin·ion (-pnyn)n.
1. A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: "The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion" (Elizabeth Drew).
2. A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert: a medical opinion.
3. A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing: has a low opinion of braggarts.
4. The prevailing view: public opinion.
5. Law A formal statement by a court or other adjudicative body of the legal reasons and principles for the conclusions of the court.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin opni, opnin-, from opnr, to think.]
Synonyms: opinion, view, sentiment, feeling, belief, conviction, persuasion
These nouns signify something a person believes or accepts as being sound or true. Opinion is applicable to a judgment based on grounds insufficient to rule out the possibility of dispute: "A little group of willful men, representing no opinion but their own, have rendered the great Government of the United States helpless and contemptible" (Woodrow Wilson).
View stresses individuality of outlook: "My view is . . . that freedom of speech means that you shall not do something to people either for the views they have or the views they express" (Hugo L. Black).
Sentiment and especially feeling stress the role of emotion as a determinant: "If men are to be precluded from offering their sentiments on a matter which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences . . . reason is of no use to us" (George Washington). "There needs protection . . . against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling" (John Stuart Mill).
A belief is a conclusion to which one subscribes strongly: "Our belief in any particular natural law cannot have a safer basis than our unsuccessful critical attempts to refute it" (Karl Popper).
Conviction is belief that excludes doubt: "the editor's own conviction of what, whether interesting or only important, is in the public interest" (Walter Lippmann).
Persuasion applies to a confidently held opinion: "He had a strong persuasion that Likeman was wrong" (H.G. Wells). opinion - definition of opinion by The Free Dictionary

opinion (n.) c.1300, from Old French opinion "opinion, view, judgements founded upon probabilities" (12c.), from Latin opinionem (nominative opinio) "opinion, conjecture, fancy, belief, what one thinks; appreciation, esteem," from stem of opinari "think, judge, suppose, opine," from PIE *op- (2) "to choose" (see option).

Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinion in good men is but knowledge in the making. [Milton, "Areopagitica"]

Online Etymology Dictionary

In general, an opinion is a judgment, viewpoint, or statement about matters commonly considered to be subjective, i.e. based on that which is less than absolutely certain, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts. What distinguishes fact from opinion is that facts are verifiable, i.e. can be objectively proven to have occurred. An example is: "America was involved in the Vietnam War" versus "America was right to get involved in the Vietnam War". An opinion may be supported by facts, in which case it becomes an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented. It can be reasoned that one opinion is better supported by the facts than another by analyzing the supporting arguments.[1] In casual use, the term opinion may be the result of a person's perspective, understanding, particular feelings, beliefs, and desires. It may refer to unsubstantiated information, in contrast to knowledge and fact. Opinion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What role do genetics and our childhood upbringing play in the acquisition and formation of our opinions? Nature Nurture in Psychology | Simply Psychology[/quote]

While my view is nurture plays a much larger role in the formation and acquisition of opinions, there are those who believe adults may change their views. I am not so sure as the author of this article: How to Carry Childhood Beliefs Into Adulthood | eHow

The author states:

Childhood offers a number of opportunities for growth and learning. Children advance at various stages according to their individual abilities and environments. Parents and others involved in the raising and grooming of children influence their belief systems and behaviors throughout their childhood. As children go through the many stages of childhood, they also receive influence from those outside of their original circle. This transformation may cause belief systems to change, leading to the inclusion of new ideas and experiences, or remain relatively the same. All children, as they become adults, eventually decide for themselves what they wish to carry with them from their childhood. The methods in which they reach this process may vary, as no two individuals experience the same upbringing.

A lesson with pictures on the opinion-forming process: How to Form an Opinion: 11 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow leaves me wondering how many employ a similar process?

For myself, I wanted to believe what my parents told me. At a relatively young age, I no longer accepted everything I was told was gospel. Too, I told my parents when I thought they were wrong. Often, I then experienced unpleasant consequences.

What is disconcerting to me is realizing how little I know -- the problem being the lack of knowledge calls into question the efficacy of the opinions I hold.

I will end, finally, with a John Maynard Keynes quote: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"

[Travelinglady]

Interesting thoughts, glok. I think we learn a lot by observation and actual experience. Plus what we read and are taught.

Yes, our parents are instrumental in forming our opinions, but many of us do question what we were taught as we get older.

On a personal note, it didn't take very long to question the truth/reality of what my parents said and taught me. It took a bit longer to begin to develop and more or less trust my own opinions and views. I've found that it has become more difficult to develop hard opinions as I've grown older. Things are so complicated and there are so many people who seem to want to influence my views and opinions and I suspect some of them are quite good at it.
I suppose that there are two realities for most of us. The first I suppose is objective reality, true physical reality. Then there is perception... the reality we perceive through our own personal lens we develop through personal experience, ideals (what we want to believe), and what has stuck with us from our early years, what you refer to as nurture, I think.
I'm sure that I sometimes mistakenly confuse my opinion with fact. I'm not sure whether that statement is fact or opinion