A fact is a statement that can be objectively verified through observation or evidence. An opinion is a personal interpretation, judgment, or evaluation that may vary from person to person. For example, 'It rained today' is a fact; 'The weather ruined my day' is an opinion. Both statements feel true in the moment, but only one can be confirmed independently.

When negative opinions are treated as facts — such as 'I am unlovable' or 'Everyone thinks I am incompetent' — they bypass critical evaluation and directly influence mood and behavior. Cognitive fusion (Hayes et al., 2012) refers to this tendency to become entangled with thoughts as though they are literal truths. The antidote is not to suppress the thought, but to step back and notice it as a mental event rather than an objective fact.

Read each statement below. Decide whether it is a verifiable fact or a subjective opinion. Remember: if reasonable people could disagree about the statement, or if it cannot be confirmed through direct evidence, it is an opinion.

1. 1
   I listened to my friend describe a difficult day they had.

   • This is a FACT — it describes an observable event that occurred.
2. 2
   I am a good friend.

   • This is an OPINION — 'good' is a subjective evaluation that depends on personal criteria.
3. 3
   I am unattractive.

   • This is an OPINION — attractiveness is subjective and varies across individuals and cultures.
4. 4
   I have a blemish on my face.

   • This is a FACT — the presence of a blemish can be objectively observed.
5. 5
   My hair looks terrible today.

   • This is an OPINION — 'terrible' is a judgment, not a measurable attribute.
6. 6
   My supervisor told me I did a great job on the report.

   • This is a FACT — it reports what another person said, which is verifiable.
7. 7
   Nobody will ever want to be around me.

   • This is an OPINION — it predicts the future and generalizes across all people, neither of which is verifiable.
8. 8
   The person I asked out declined.

   • This is a FACT — it describes a specific event that happened.
9. 9
   I am less intelligent than everyone in my class.

   • This is an OPINION — it makes an absolute comparison using a single dimension that is difficult to measure objectively.
10. 10
    I am lazy.

    • This is an OPINION — 'lazy' is a character judgment, not an observable fact about behavior.
11. 11
    I watched television instead of completing my assignment.

    • This is a FACT — it describes two observable behaviors.
12. 12
    My friend is angry with me because they frowned during our conversation.

    • This is an OPINION — it infers another person's internal state from a single facial expression, which can have many causes.
13. 13
    My friend frowned during our conversation.

    • This is a FACT — it reports an observable facial expression.
14. 14
    Everyone was bored during my presentation.

    • This is an OPINION — you cannot know the internal experience of every audience member.
15. 15
    I should always be nice to others.

    • This is an OPINION — 'should' and 'always' express a rigid personal rule, not a verifiable fact.

• When you notice a strong negative thought, pause and ask: 'Is this a fact I can verify, or is this my mind offering an opinion?'
• Practice reframing opinions with the prefix 'I am having the thought that...' to create healthy distance from the mental content.
• Keep a brief daily log noting one opinion your mind presented as fact and what the corresponding verifiable fact would be.
• Remember that recognizing an opinion does not mean the feeling behind it is invalid — it simply means the thought is not the full picture.