Objective Versus Subjective
SUB-jective information, or writing ... is based on "personal" opinions, interpretations, points of view, emotions and judgment. It is often considered ill-suited for scenarios like news reporting or decision making in business or politics. OB-jective information or analysis, is "fact-based," measurable and observable.
So what is an easy way to remember these very important differences? In my mind, it has always been confusing. It's kind of like subject and object. An object can be a subject but can a subject be an object? You see what I'm talking about. It can be confusing at times, right?
SUB-JECTIVE - is basically an opinion. And everybody has one. It will not hold up in a court of law, nor will everyone agree with it. There is no evidentiary proof of what is emotionally interpreted and personally opinionated.
OB-JECTIVE - is basically a fact. It is not subject to opinion. And it is admissible in court. Whether you choose to believe it or not is your choice, but fact is fact. Generally, there must also be evidentiary proof of this fact.
So, now let's try and make it easier still.
SUB-JECTIVE - Personal Opinion.
OB-JECTIVE - Verifiable Fact.
So, in a basic sense, opinion versus fact. Now, how to make it even easier for people like me who can recite the names of all the Roman Emperors, and heroes of Greek Mythology but can never plug in a USB correctly ... ever.
Perhaps some etymology (word origins study) might help.
Subjective: Existing in the mind as a personal opinion.
Objective: Impersonal, unbiased, and factual.
Subjective claims cannot be proved true or false by any generally accepted criteria. Subjective claims often express opinions, preferences, values, feelings, and judgments. Even though they may involve facts, they do not make factual (provable) claims, and therefore they are, in a sense, neither true nor false in the same way an objective claim is true or false. They are outside the realm of what is verifiable.
A subjective point of view is biased, because it is either not the complete picture or it is merely a viewpoint or expression of feelings or opinion.
An objective claim is a statement about a factual matter-one that can be proved true or false. For factual matters there exist widely recognized criteria and methods to determine whether a claim is true or false.
Now forget using the words subject and object. It just makes things messier. We are actually looking for a shortcut that will separate something SUBJECTIVE, and something OBJECTIVE.
This seems to work for me. Hopefully, it may work for you as well:
SUBJECTIVE - SUB-conscious opinion.
OBJECTIVE - OB-servable Truth. OB-vious.
One closing thought. You may be saying "but sometimes my opinion (subjective) can be proven to be true." Then it is no longer subjective, but transmutes to being objective once proven. This is the same way in which blind faith, can be eradicated by knowingness.
For example, if I told you I had a flashlight in my glovebox, and you had not seen inside my glovebox, you would have to choose via blind faith in order to belief me ... or not. If you choose to believe me, you have accepted a belief that may or may not be true based solely on being told of it. But the moment I reach into my glovebox and SHOW you my flashlight - evidence - you now KNOW that what I said was true and your blind faith has been shattered ... no longer needed ... no longer necessary. So you see, evidential knowledge displaces the practice and purpose for blind faith.
Sometime we say and believe things that are nothing more than regurgitating what we have heard from someone else ... "hearsay" is what it is called. Sometimes it's gossip. And it is inadmissible in court for good reason. Because if you can't prove it to be true, then it remains nothing more than opinion ... until proven true or false. Sometimes, people don't believe what they read ... but instead ... read what they believe. Remember the boy who cried "wolf" and nobody saw one? That was subjective. But ... one day, the boy cried "wolf" and this time the wolf showed up for everyone to see. That was objective ... and a very good time to run. I hope this has helped.
Just a thought ...
Justin Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.
