Are people entitled to an opinion on a subject they KNOW absolutely NOTHING about?

SecretSam

Errr...yes, that's the basis of free speech...you can comment on anything in any way, whether you know what you're talking about or not.

Now, if you're poorly informed, you'll be seen to be such, and (again, under free speech) everyone will be entitled to say "What a poorly informed person".

Part of what is interesting about debate and discourse is the opinions people generate from incomplete information. If people can only talk when they are informed, then conversation will be pretty stilted.

Also, it allows the well-informed to share their knowledge: because otherwise, the topic will never be raised.

beardedgoose

Sorry - I know absolutely nothing about this question!

Emssssssssss

I wish it didnt happent....but we all do it!! Sometimes we have strong views on something, we may not have all the facts...but if you feel strongly about something, I suppose its hard to just sit back and shut up whilst you research the subject...even when we probably should...!!!

Mr Sceptic

Yes, they are entitled to an opinion on whatever they want.

They are not entitled to express that opinion without expecting to be told that they don't know what they're talking about.

frankturk50

Yes though they often make themselves look ill informed and ignorant.I think for instance if someone asks a specific question about law or other subject they want an answer but often get opinions which isn't helpful.

GÃ¼nther Bischoff

Yes - but their opinion isn't worth much

dvsrhdr

No no no no no no no no NO! If you dont have a clue what you are talking about, do everyone a favour and keep quiet.

lil southern girl

People will always be entitled to have an opinion, no matter how uneducated that opinion may be. That's what an opinion is. If we want facts on a subject, we should be prepared to look for them in the right place, online and otherwise.

LEONARD W

Why not. Politicians give their opinion on subjects of which they know little or nothing all the time.

Stephen P

I dont really know but politicians and newspaper columnists are always spouting off about things they haven't a clue about.

edgarl

Entitled yes, but sad to see so many who are not aware of their own ignorance and may mislead others to their detriment.

Moondanceâ„¢

Hello. I think everyone's entitled to an opinion, i guess sometimes it's just not appropriate/right to share it. x

fightingstatue

yes thats what makes us human

purplepadma

Well, the right to free speech says yes.

However, I can't really see the point of doing so. I get very tired of people ranting off, for example, about asylum seekers being so very wealthy and prisons being like holiday camps when they obviously have no direct experience of these issues.

I have a lot of respect for people who stop and think for a minute and realise that they don't yet know enough about a topic to have an informed, reasonable opinion.

bexieboo

everyones entiltled to an opinion

Ronan M

everyone is entitled to an opinion just as everyone else is entitled not to listen...

door.uk

Yes, I could go through ever question and give an answer even if i have no knowledge of the answer.

after all its just an opinion

emma

Everyone is entitled to an opinion on anything even if they know nothing about it

firebobby

Yes,anyone can have an opinion, thats the beauty of living in a democracy.

Charlie S

Yes

However, as Mark Twain said "It's better to be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt"

cynical axiom

Rightly or wrongly yes . it's called democracy.

Stephen A

It seems so , there are a lot of people doing it , and more worrying is that there are people that are taken in by such people.

Rommel

yes!! they are. it works like this..... you may not know much about the anatomy of a dog, but you know when its biting your rse. you dont need to know the mechanics of everything when the efect of said object or action on your social well being is negative. are you sugesting that you have to have majored in nuclear phisics to apose nuclier bombs??

HUNNYMONSTA

Absolutely. Different people see situations in different ways - take the smoking ban as an example. Non-smokers see it as a godsend; smokers see it as anything from an inconvenience to an unfairly imposed blanket law. The discussion/debate/flame war that would result from any person stating an opinion should serve to broaden the viewpoint of all concerned.

teddy

Well seeing as how many people do just that i guess one would say yes.

bigtdotcom

yes thats why my grandad went to war so we could speak freely

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