Arena: Applied Critical Thinking
Facts, Opinions, and Reasoned Judgments
Introduction
The ability to discern between facts, preferences, and reasoned judgments is the beginning of critical thinking, i.e., the process of how we form conclusions. A fact is something we can count on being true. There are two kinds of opinion: preference and reasoned judgement. Preferences are personal and subjective, e.g., the taste of food, favorite color, or music. Reasoned judgement requires a consistent methodology. When people make decisions based on preference, (position, politics, power, and personality), it breeds distrust and conflict.