Opinion vs. Judging

Main Difference

The main difference between Opinion and Judging is that the Opinion is a judgment, viewpoint, or statement that is not conclusive; may deal with subjective matters in which there is no conclusive finding and Judging is a decision making; evaluation of evidence to make a decision

• Opinion

  In general, an opinion is a judgment, viewpoint, or statement that is not conclusive. It may deal with subjective matters in which there is no conclusive finding, or it may deal with facts which are sought to be disputed by the logical fallacy that one is entitled to their opinions. What distinguishes fact from opinion is that facts are more likely to be verifiable, i.e. can be agreed to by the consensus of experts. An example is: “United States of America was involved in the Vietnam War” versus “United States of America was right to get involved in the Vietnam War”. An opinion may be supported by facts and principles, in which case it becomes an argument. Different people may draw opposing conclusions (opinions) even if they agree on 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. 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.

  Collective or professional opinions are defined as meeting a higher standard to substantiate the opinion. (see below)

• Judging

  Judgment (or judgement) is the evaluation of evidence to make a decision. The term has four distinct uses:

  Informal – opinions expressed as facts.

  Informal and psychological – used in reference to the quality of cognitive faculties and adjudicational capabilities of particular individuals, typically called wisdom or discernment.

  Legal – used in the context of legal trial, to refer to a final finding, statement, or ruling, based on a considered weighing of evidence, called, “adjudication”. See spelling note for further explanation.

  Religious – used in the concept of salvation to refer to the adjudication of God in determining Heaven or Hell for each and all human beings. God’s assessment of a person’s worth: a determination of “good” conveys great value while “evil” conveys worthless).

  Additionally, judgement can mean:

  Personality judgment, a psychological phenomenon of a person forming opinions of other people.