Five Simple Ways To Separate Opinion From Fact

Written by: Bronwen Sciortino, Senior Level Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

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We live in a world where there are lots of voices, all constantly competing to be heard. I’ve observed for a while now that it’s often the loudest or strongest voice that is heard above the cacophony… and I’ve also watched people simply accept what they hear because of the strength of conviction with which the information is delivered.

We’re all busy, right? Information about all sorts of things comes at us with speed and in ever-increasing volumes. Who’s got time to fact-check everything? I’d wager a guess: not many of us. The problem with this is that we absorb the information, moving forwards and applying it into our lives … and we have no idea whether or not it’s a fact or fiction.

Everyone is trying to stand out!

Our way of life is highly visible. We’re connected 24/7 and everyone can see what we’re up to, all the time.

If you’re like me, and you really have to remind yourself to share things in your social platforms, there are times when it can feel like you’re oversharing. If you’re a bit more extroverted, then you probably can’t share enough.

Either way, it can feel like there’s this pressure to always be ‘switched on’ and constantly showing the world what you’ve achieved, what you’ve discovered, how you’re applying this to your life and how much better it’s made everything seem.

With millions of others on the same platforms trying to do the same thing, we’re all competing with each other to stand out.

The problem is the load this brings with it, and the time it consumes to do it.

Something catches the eye, it’s delivered with strength and authority … and suddenly you’re incorporating it into your life and trying to make it work for you.

You spend zero time working out whether what’s been said is a fact, or whether it’s actually relevant to you. But you do spend loads of time trying to force it to fit into your life.

The reality is this: about 99% of the things you see and hear in the digital world aren’t based on fact. They’re someone’s opinion and they’re the supporting act for the 1% that is factual. The 99% is also almost always manipulated and presented in a way that triggers an emotional reaction from you – that’s how the person delivering the information makes sure that it is heard.

It’s the emotion that creates the problem.

It’s not until we feel the emotion that we give the words or the information any power. It’s the emotion that triggers us to invest something in ourselves and try to make a change.

But when there are millions of people, adding highly inflammatory opinions to small amounts of fact so that their message gets heard, it’s you that gets thrown into the wash and sent spinning from pillar to post, see-sawing between information from one person to the next.

All of this takes time – and energy – that you don’t have to waste. So, how can you experience this in a way that makes life easier? Here are five simple things you can do to help you separate opinions from facts:

1. Read/watch/consume everything knowing that most of it are based on opinion.

Once you understand that almost all of what you’re seeing and hearing is based on opinion, it helps you to take less on board – and you’ll be less connected to it. Once this happens, you’ll feel less emotion and that’s the thing that creates the load for you. Less emotion means less of a drain on you – physically, mentally, and emotionally – which can only be a good thing.

2. Start to notice the people who post things in an inflammatory way.

Some people post things that are more inflammatory than others. Start to notice the ones that post things that really trigger your emotions. Overlay your knowledge that most of what you see and hear is an opinion, and then ask whether the emotional rollercoaster you get from consuming their information is worth your time and effort. Then, consciously train yourself to skip over their posts when you see their name. As a result, you’ll find yourself consuming more relevant and positive information in no time.

3. Give yourself a break.

Place boundaries around the time you spend consuming information on socials. Carve out certain times of the day when you let yourself go down the rabbit hole, and set an alarm to pull you back out again. Limit your time spent consuming other people’s opinions and you’ll automatically reduce the load you carry from the emotional triggers.

4. Ask yourself whether the information applies to you.

Taking a few seconds to ask yourself whether the information actually applies to you gives you the opportunity to consciously connect to something before you are triggered into automatic emotion. This gives you time to choose whether you let what you’re seeing and/or hearing have any impact on you.

5. Ditch the drama.

Start to pick up on the posts that are deliberately created to trigger a response. Inflammatory statements like: ‘It’s such a bad day!’, ‘Could things get any worse?’ or ‘Well … that really sucks!’ without any other information to explain the statement serve only one purpose: to get you to respond, so that you can help the person get their post performing well against the algorithms. What they want you to do is ask things like: ‘Oh no! What happened?’ Or ‘Hoping you’re OK?’ … and then you get sucked into the drama vortex that overloads you with emotion. It also leaves the poster “Happy as Larry”, because they’re getting attention and their post is climbing the algorithm rankings. Instead, acknowledge the post for what it is and simply scroll on by.

Facts are where the power lies in our over-stimulated, over informational world. Learn to separate the opinion from the facts and you’ll find a calmer, more relaxed and more peaceful pathway through life.

Bronwen Sciortino is a Simplicity Expert, an internationally renowned author, and a professional speaker, and you can follow her on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Read more from Bronwen!

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Bronwen Sciortino, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Bronwen Sciortino is an International Author and Simplicity Expert who spent almost two decades as an award-winning executive before experiencing a life changing event that forced her to stop and ask the question ‘What if there’s a better way to live?’

Embarking on a journey to answer this question, Bronwen developed a whole new way of living – one that teaches you to challenge the status quo and include the power of questions in everyday life.

Gaining international critical acclaim and 5-star awards for her books and online programs, Bronwen spends every day teaching people that there is an easy, practical and simple pathway to creating a healthy, happy AND highly successful life.

Sourced globally for media comment as an expert and working with corporate programs, conference platforms, retreats, professional mentoring and in the online environment, Bronwen teaches people how easy it is to live life very differently.