1. #1
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    What does objective and subjective mean?

    Hey,

    I'm wondering, what's the difference between objective and subjective?

  2. #2
    The Normal Kasierith's Avatar
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    Objective deals with facts, subjective deals with interpretation of facts. So lets say you have a chart of, I don't know.. average wages over 10 years. The numbers there are objective because they can be identified. Looking at what they mean, however, is subjective... you apply your own logic and reasoning to the reality that the numbers represent.

    I'm going to go by assume this is distinct from philosophical applications, where you can identify all things as subjective.

  3. #3
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    obejctive is something that can't be denied in such a manner, that is stating a fact. Eg. "this chair is green", "game is less enjoyable than previous version due to the joy-factor designed in 2008"
    subjective takes into consideration someones opinion, eg. "i like the green colouring on this chair", "i like this game, it gave me 100 hours of joy"

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    Warchief Viscoe's Avatar
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    Objective - view without any opinion, supported by the facts of the situation.
    "The iPod Touch 4th gen has a camera and microphone which has increased its sales based on previous generations." <- Using facts (that I made up for the demonstration) without injecting opinion.

    Subjective - your biased (as in you have injected your opinion) view of the situation, supported by your opinion. Fact not always required. :P
    "The iPod Touch 4th gen has an awesome camera and mic on it so I can use apps I couldn't before. That's why it sells better, because it is better." <- Subjective. Full of opinion without any reference to the known data or facts (that, again, I made up for this demonstration.)
    Last edited by Viscoe; 2012-06-24 at 04:26 PM.
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  5. #5
    http://www.merriam-webster.com/

    /10 char.

    In a nutshell:
    Objective = Unbiased
    Subjective = Biased

  6. #6
    Well... one must wonder, why are you asking on a forum and sitting there waiting on a reply when you could simply look it up in a dictionary or google it for an immediate answer? lol

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    The Lightbringer eriseis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cleavedge View Post
    Well... one must wonder, why are you asking on a forum and sitting there waiting on a reply when you could simply look it up in a dictionary or google it for an immediate answer? lol
    Dictionaries are rather limited in pragmatics and idiosyncrasy.
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  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Cleavedge View Post
    Well... one must wonder, why are you asking on a forum and sitting there waiting on a reply when you could simply look it up in a dictionary or google it for an immediate answer? lol
    I don't think your response really adds to the conversation. Ironically mine isn't either. Your post covers most threads on this forum however.

    On topic: Objective means you are using facts, subjective means you aren't.

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    Steak is a type of food: Objective
    Steak tastes good: Subjective
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    Herald of the Titans GodlyBob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ashall View Post
    obejctive is something that can't be denied in such a manner, that is stating a fact. Eg. "this chair is green", "game is less enjoyable than previous version due to the joy-factor designed in 2008"
    subjective takes into consideration someones opinion, eg. "i like the green colouring on this chair", "i like this game, it gave me 100 hours of joy"
    attaching any kind of relative quality, ie "better," makes the comment subjective. So, the chair example works, but not the game one.
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  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Viscoe View Post
    Objective - view without any opinion, supported by the facts of the situation.
    "The iPod Touch 4th gen has a camera and microphone which has increased its sales based on previous generations." <- Using facts (that I made up for the demonstration) without injecting opinion.

    Subjective - your biased (as in you have injected your opinion) view of the situation, supported by your opinion. Fact not always required. :P
    "The iPod Touch 4th gen has an awesome camera and mic on it so I can use apps I couldn't before. That's why it sells better, because it is better." <- Subjective. Full of opinion without any reference to the known data or facts (that, again, I made up for this demonstration.)
    Clearly the best explanation. If he came here to ask what it meant I probably can guess that he already had looked it up in a dictionary and read up on it and probably understood that it meant biased or non-biased simply explained. Perhaps he did still not understand it quite well and needed an good explanation combined with a good example.
    Viscoe gave him that.
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  12. #12
    Old God Grizzly Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kasierith View Post
    Objective deals with facts, subjective deals with interpretation of facts. So lets say you have a chart of, I don't know.. average wages over 10 years. The numbers there are objective because they can be identified. Looking at what they mean, however, is subjective... you apply your own logic and reasoning to the reality that the numbers represent.

    I'm going to go by assume this is distinct from philosophical applications, where you can identify all things as subjective.
    Right. One would argue that everything is subjective on the basis that we all interpret the world via limited senses, but I find that line of thinking to be a bit lackluster. While we do have imperfect sense, there are facts that we can reach a consensus on through trial and error. The imperfect senses, for example, is something we can very well demonstrate by asking a group of people to describe the same event. While you'll get largely similar answers, there are going to be discrepancies. Of course, this could be attributed to certain biases people have, the end result would tell us that our senses aren't always able to provide a clear recount of an event. Thus there are going to be discrepancies with the interpretation of facts.

    At this point, though, I think that this doesn't eliminate the existence of objective facts, just that our ability to discern these objective facts is faulty. Think of it like a broken compass. You know that there is a direction, north, that exists. However, your faulty compass doesn't tell you the proper location you need to head into in order to proceed north, but it vaguely points in the right direction. You can compare it with other compasses that may or may not be faulty, and eventually find the correct direction, or, in terms of the topic of this thread, find the objective truth, as it were.

    The attachment of bias and the subjectivity that follows is something that bothers me with journalism in particular. When a reporter is cited as being biased, the common response I see is that every reporter is biased, and that it is impossible to expect an objective stance when reading a report of, say, politics. I find this rather hard to believe, though, as there are objective truths to events that have happened, are happening, or will happen. If the reporter is allowing their bias to impact their ability to present these objective truths in accurate manner clear of opinion, then they are either trying to push a particular line of thought, or using, as it were, a faulty compass.

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