How are personal opinions formed?

Question

Are they created through experiences or do people take opinions from other people and use them as their own?!

Answer 1

Personal opinions are formed mainly through personal experience but someone's opinion can be influenced by another's as long as it conforms to the individual's basic ethical, moral view of the world.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the best lessons and perspective are gained through trauma, failure and loss. Someone can only gain real insight into the inner workings of others through experience. If you have never had to deal with death than your opinion will be lacking in the multidimensional aspects of how it may affect someone.
I suppose there are worthy opinions and ones based on ignorance and/or arrogance. If a person does not have a stable, moral core than they are more easily swayed by someone else. You can probably pick those individuals out so do not rely on their ideas, People are like chameleons and when it is favorable, they can sway to any opinion depending on the benefit they will receive from agreeing or disagreeing. People are corrupted by their own needs and are usually working an angle for their benefit.

Answer 2

Personal experiences and information gathered through the media are what give most people the material to form their opinions. This is why the media have a lot to answer for, as they can be a huge influence on people - especially those who believe everything they read and hear. It's so easy to brainwash people into agreeing with a preferred opinion and we should keep open minds and investigate all avenues of thought before arriving at a definite opinion on any given topic. In addition, there are those who use the opinions of others, eg., parents, partners, etc., as their own, because they can't be bothered to think deeply enough about anything.

Answer 3

People form personal opinions based mostly on their personality style -- with some bit other influences involved, depending on the culture they live in, how they were raised, how "secure/safe" the environment was to them, how much guidance they got from independent people, etc.

-- Personality

Most personality tests reveal the basic ways in which people make decisions. A basic test like the Myers-Briggs Trait Inventory determines the general way in which a person (1) gathers information and (2) makes decisions based on that information.

In the MBTI, some people are very good at seeing tangible things they can experience through their senses, while others have vivid imaginations and focus more on possibilities rather the literal details. This influences their opinions.

(If you watch the TV show "Lost," you see Jack -- the first type -- vs John Lock -- the second type -- and how they are butting heads because one sees what is literally in front of him and is a "man of science," while the other envisions what's possible and is a "man of faith.")

When people evaluate the information they've collected, they do so impersonally (Thinking) or personally (Feeling). The first type is more like the "computer" style thinking, where everyone agrees on what is "logical" and "fair." The second type takes personally held values (and feelings, as part of that) into account.

An example of this is a discussion on the death penalty. The second type of person can have a very strong opinion that a murderer might deserve the death penalty because they can empathize with the victim and the anguish of the victim's children, while the "Thinking" type might also feel those same emotions but will instead 'reason' her way through and explain the difficulties in enforcing the death penalty fairly.

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Not only does personality impact our decisions, but it also impacts our "gullilibilty" or desire to follow the "status quo" -- i.e., do we make our own decisions and ignore other opinions, or do we find comfort in learning what others believe and then basing our decisions upon theirs?

Some people constantly evaluate their experiences and derive opinions from those life experiences. They might or might not listen to other people's opinions, but in the end they have to follow their own idea of what's right and wrong.

Other people find comfort in fitting in with the group. They value uniformity and agreement, and do not like to make waves. So they find a compromise.

Still other people feel insecure thinking for themselves, because decisions always leave room for doubt. To relieve their anxiety, they will adopt other people's ideas so that they are not responsible for their decisions.

All of these styles can be practiced by the same individual at some point in life, and all of these ways of forming opinions can be influenced by environment.

For example, if society or the family has harsh rules about having to believe what everyone else does, people generally either learn to conform to everyone else or they become very strong rebels to whatever is the established belief.

If society or the family is too lax, people make decisions based on personal convenience and feelings, without regard for others. Their opinions do not have to connect with reality at all, and they just believe whatever they want to. Only when "reality comes crashing in" do they realize they were wrong, and still often fight it.

In the end, we all influence each other to some degree. Other people's opinions trigger throughts in us, against which we react -- either adopting them, changing them some, or using them as a springboard for our own ideas. No man is an island. We all impact each other, for good or ill.

The coming U.S. election season (November 2006) will highlight many of these decision-making processes, where we see many people adopting opinions that they want to believe, or in order to be accepted in a particular voting grouop, or to oppose another group they see as an enemy.

Idealistically, I think we should be "informed" by our experiences and environment, remain open-minded even while we might already believe some things, and be willing to modify our ideas in the areas we realize are weak.

Answer 4

They are formed by yourself. Perhaps you are asking if personal opinions can be really personal? Well they can be influenced by other people's opinions but still you have to confirm your beliefs yourself and also your own opinions will be personalised by your own experiences and your rationality. Otherwise everyone would have the same opinions of the very 1st person on earth right? Opinions can be adopted but they will be adapted to your form of thinking.

Answer 5

Bit of both I would have said. Experience is a great teacher and does help you form opinions but if someone and put forward a good logical argument, I would be willing to review my opinion and adopt theirs.

Answer 6

A combination of both, experience,other people, and media are all ways of forming opinions.

Answer 7

Both. Depends if you're an independent person or a sheep.
To be honest, I'd say about 80% of people are sheep, just going a long with everything that's in the media. Whether it be sports, music, politics or whatever..

Answer 8

Generally, I use my experience when I hear, see or read of a LIBERAL doing something patently insane, arrogant, selfish, or above all STUPID to REINFORCE accurate opinions I already had held from having the misfortune of witnessing them and their blatant loonyness before.

Answer 9

I personally think that to an extent your opinions are based of that of your parents!- as you get older you realise they don't always know everything and then using experience make you own!!- don't sho my mum this she might not agree!!!

Answer 10

usually they are created through experiences that people go through.