Subjective and Objective Claims

There are numerous types of subjective and objective claims. A claim that is subjective invokes personal standards and whether it is true or false depends on what an individual, or group of individuals, thinks, believes, or feels. In other words, when someone voices their opinion they are making a subjective claim. When watching "Sportscenter," there are many subjective claims throughout the show because there are so many different sports reporters with their own opinions. Yesterday when I was watching "Sportscenter" with my roommate, one reporter asserted that the "New Orleans Saints are going to repeat as Super Bowl Champions this year." This is a subjective claim because while the reporter believes the Saints will win, I stated that I think the Colts will win, and my roommate claimed that the Vikings will win the Super Bowl. The reporter's claim differs from other opinions, so it is a subjective claim.

A claim that is objective applies impersonal standards. An objective claim can be true or false, but has to be a statement about a factual matter. When I talked with someone today about when we should leave for a high school football game tomorrow, she asserted that "we have to leave earlier because it will take longer to get there in traffic." This can be proven to be true because traffic leads to a longer commute, so it is an example of an objective claim.