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It is often very illuminating...to ask yourself how you got at the facts on which you base your opinion. Who actually saw, heard, felt, counted, named the thing, about which you have an opinion?
Walter Lippmann
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the importance of understanding the sources of our opinions and beliefs.

Walter Lippmann encourages us to critically examine the basis of our opinions by questioning the origins of the information we rely on. By reflecting on who gathered the facts we accept, we can better understand the validity of our beliefs and avoid forming opinions based on hearsay or unverified information.

Themes

OpinionWisdomInformationFactsCritical Thinking

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about media bias, you might say, 'As Walter Lippmann noted, we should ask ourselves about the sources of our opinions.'

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The private citizen, beset by partisan appeals for the loan of his Public Opinion, will soon see, perhaps, that these appeals are not a compliment to his intelligence, but an imposition on his good nature and an insult to his sense of evidence.
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