Answer:
Is there a difference between an opinion and assertion? If yes, state your reason.
Answer: YES, there is.
Opinion vs Assertion
Assertion makes a statement or claim, and it may or may not be followed up by evidence or reasoning. The expression “Assertion!” is often an accusation that a particular claim was not followed up by evidence or reasoning.
In some domains of discourse, such as the religious-spiritual domain, there are many assertions and claims made, but it’s expected that people make their own investigation and observations over time using spiritual intuition, prayer, receiving revelation, etc.
The term “opinion” is sometimes used as a derogatory term, referring to someone else’s statement as “just an opinion”, if there was no iron clad, definitive proof of some kind acceptable to those present. If a speaker says his own view is “just an opinion” they may be acknowledging that they don’t have the sort of evidence or reasoning that would be fully acceptable to others present, or they may be expressing their own uncertainty about the claim, they may be acknowledging there are other viewpoints on the subject, or they may be saying they’re just speculating in that moment. In any case, when the person making the claim says “this is just my opinion” it’s more socially gracious than when spoken by one who would accuse another person of “it’s just their opinion”.
Assertion and opinion may be true, but if the claims can be backed up with evidence, sound reasoning, etc, the claims will be more credible to others. That’s not always possible, and that doesn’t mean that the claim is false. Some claims don’t lend themselves to what’s commonly called evidence and sound reasoning. Some claims such as about one’s internal states are “self-evident” to the speaker, and admit of no “proof” or reasoning.
#BRAINLYFAST!
