There is a difference between having strong principles and strong opinions.
For most people, principles are responsive and rooted in the values we have adopted based on our culture, upbringing, and lived experience.
For example, I can think back to lessons I learned from my family and the people around me, which I still choose to carry today as part of my own principles.
Opinions are different in that they are often more reactive and ego-driven. They are often shaped more by mood, bias, or popular social influence rather than introspection.
That’s why we shouldn’t necessarily take opinions as seriously as principles. But it can be hard to spot which is which in the moment, as some people voice their opinions so strongly they seem like principles.
So how do you tell the difference?
9 ways to tell if someone has strong principles or just strong opinions:
1. Someone with strong principles can usually describe why they believe what they do.
Principles are typically rooted in a broader, ethical standard.
In my case, it’s incredibly important to me that I do honest work, write content that is not manipulative, and maintain ethical integrity.
That is important to me because I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I regret, some related to dishonesty.
I decided to stop being that person because I didn’t want to hurt or mislead people anymore.
People can describe why they have an opinion, of course. But if someone just has a strong opinion not backed by any guiding principle, they often won’t be able to tell you why they believe it. They’ll just give you a conclusion without any logic behind it.
For example, you may have someone who believes in a flat Earth, and the only reason they have is “That’s just what I believe.”
That’s a lot harder to accept or take seriously because it’s just an unexamined opinion with nothing of substance supporting it.
2. Someone with strong principles will apply the same standards to whoever they’re with.
There are so many people who will toss out a strongly held opinion or overlook bad behavior because they like someone.
Those strong opinions will bend when it’s a friend, family member, or public figure violating the belief they claim to have.
Meanwhile, a genuine principle will hold firm, regardless of who it is you have to upset or disappoint.
For example, I no longer associate with or work with the kind of people who do dishonest things.
I don’t expect people to be perfect or adhere to my principles. That would be unreasonable. However, I can choose whether or not I want to be associated with dishonest people.
I’ve learned that if I want to uphold my principles, I have to be selective about who I spend my time with, because I know that it’s easy to get pulled into what you put yourself around.
It’s so easy to make a regrettable mistake when temptation is within arm’s reach.
3. Someone with strong principles will abide by them even when it’s not to their benefit.
This is often the clearest way to tell a strong principle from a loud opinion: principles hold steady, even when sticking to them comes with a cost.
For example, coming back to my own situation, I knew I had turned a corner with my own guiding principles when I didn’t even think about whether or not I should clear up a mistake at a retailer. I went to an auto shop to buy a new set of four tires. Instead of four tires, they charged me for two.
Now, years ago, I wouldn’t have said anything. I would have let them make that mistake, pocket the difference, and been thankful for my good luck. What’s more, I would have justified my actions, taking two free tires as a windfall rather than what it actually is – theft.
But by then, I had made the decision to live by the principle of honesty, so I corrected the error and paid what they were owed.
The same goes for my work. I understand that I’m putting myself at a disadvantage by now refusing work that I perceive to be unethical. I know I’ve lost out on opportunities and ways to better my financial position by doing that.
But I’m okay with that, because my values are of the utmost importance to me. I’m willing to be poorer, uncomfortable, or hungry rather than violate them.
Principles come with consequences, and an authentic, strong principle doesn’t change just because there will be repercussions.
In contrast, a sure sign that you’re dealing with an opinion and not a principle is how readily someone is willing to violate or bend it when it suits them.
I’ve known many people who talk loudly and proudly about the importance of honesty who would have taken that windfall at the tire shop without a second thought, even though it’s dishonest. They would have justified it by saying, “Well, it’s just a corporation. They can afford to lose it.”
They like the appearance of holding strong views but not the downsides that go along with it.
4. Someone with strong principles is willing to change their mind when facts emerge.
Strong opinions are not necessarily rational. Principles may not be rational either, but they can be far more flexible when you’ve received new information because they are usually responsive and based on integrity, as we’ve already mentioned.
For example, If I’m wrong and someone can show me I’m wrong, I’m more than willing to reconsider my principle and opinion to come to a new conclusion.
However, people who just have strong opinions may not spend the time to reexamine those opinions when confronted with new information. The reason being that those opinions are more likely to be reactive and ego-driven.
Instead, those individuals will often double or triple down because to change their opinion would mean they need to admit they were wrong. And admitting you’re wrong is not an easy thing to do when you’ve fused your identity with your opinions.
5. Someone with strong principles knows the difference between their preferences and their values.
A preference and an opinion are closely related concepts.
For example, the preference “I like pineapple on my pizza” often forms the opinion “Pineapple doesn’t belong on a pizza!”, and it’s an opinion that a lot of people feel strongly about for some reason.
But ultimately, it’s just a preference being voiced as a strong opinion. It’s not a principle. It doesn’t hurt anyone or affect anything of note. That preference can be quite flexible.
For example, if you were hungry and there weren’t other options, you might eat a piece of pizza after picking the pineapples off of it.
A value, on the other hand, tends to be more concrete. For example, a vegetarian may refuse to pick meat off a pizza to eat because protecting animals is one of their values, and to eat something contaminated with meat would go against that.
They would rather turn down the pizza and go hungry if that was the only option available that night.
Essentially, someone with strong principles doesn’t mistake their preferences for values, whereas someone with loud opinions often does.
6. Someone with strong principles doesn’t need other people to agree with them.
Humans are social creatures that love to be in groups. And a difference of opinions can make that much more difficult.
As such, many people form their opinions because everyone else in the group thinks the same way. It’s what is called “groupthink,” and it can be quite persuasive because few people want to feel like a social outcast. So they mold or change their opinions to fit the group they’re in.
However, a principled person can maintain their principles even while the group disagrees with them.
In my case, if I’m in a group that has a problem with my refusing to take part in dishonest or unethical activities, that just tells me I’m in the wrong group.
I’m not going to judge them, because I understand that people are going to do what they do, but neither am I going to go along with it.
7. Someone with strong principles can tolerate exceptions without abandoning their values.
This may seem a little contradictory, but real life is complicated, and values can have nuances to them.
I’ve spent this article establishing how important it is for me to do ethical work and to live an honest life. That means taking responsibility for myself, being honest and truthful, and committing to only ethical work. I am willing to be uncomfortable to adhere to that principle.
However, are there circumstances where I would violate that principle?
Yes.
If I were in a position where I literally had no other choice and it would affect other people, I would absolutely do what I had to do.
I would never let my family go hungry, though I would go hungry if it only affected me. I am not willing to make other people suffer for my values. After all, what right do I have to do that?
Final thoughts…
As you can see, this is a far more nuanced topic than it appears to be.
Principles and opinions can look similar depending on the circumstances. Sometimes, they can look downright interchangeable.
However, principles tend to come from a much deeper place than opinions do. Opinions can be quite shallow and superficial, but they can also be deep, too.
The easiest way to tell the difference is to ask the person why they believe what they do. If they can give you a serious, in-depth answer, then it’s probably a principle rather than an opinion.
