10 Reasons Why "Opinions Are Like Assholes" Is The Most Profound Truth Of The Digital Age

The adage "Opinions are like assholes—everyone has one"—and its more vulgar, often-cited extension, "and they usually stink"—is a piece of raw, American folk wisdom that has exploded in relevance in the current digital landscape of December 2025. What was once a cynical quip used to dismiss unwanted advice or self-important pontification has become a foundational critique of modern online discourse. The phrase perfectly captures the spirit of an era where the sheer volume of unfiltered, low-effort commentary threatens to drown out genuine expertise and reasoned debate. The core meaning of the idiom is simple: an opinion is a universal, personal possession, but its mere existence does not grant it value, merit, or the right to be imposed on others. In a world saturated with social media platforms and 24/7 news cycles, this blunt observation serves as a necessary, if impolite, reminder that not all perspectives are created equal, and the democratization of publishing has not led to a corresponding democratization of knowledge.

The Anatomy of an Adage: Origin and Core Meaning

The exact origin of "opinions are like assholes" is murky, a testament to its folk status, but its popularization is often traced to the late 20th century.

• Popularized by Hollywood: The line is famously attributed to the fictional police inspector Harry Callahan (played by Clint Eastwood) in the 1988 film *The Dead Pool*, though the full quote is sometimes misremembered or conflated with other sources.
• Attributed to Larry Flynt: The pornographic publisher Larry Flynt is also frequently cited as a source for the phrase in the 1996 film *The People vs. Larry Flynt*.
• Core Variations: The most common variations include:
  • "Everybody has one." (The simple, universal truth.)
  • "Everybody has one, and they usually stink." (The critical, judgmental version.)
  • "No one wants to see yours." (The social etiquette rule for public discourse.)

The phrase’s power lies in its unflinching comparison. It equates an opinion—a cherished, personal viewpoint—to a bodily function that is universal, necessary, private, and generally unpleasant to encounter in public. This shock-value rhetoric immediately cuts through self-importance, reminding the speaker (or listener) that their subjective belief holds no inherent superiority over anyone else’s.

The Psychological and Philosophical Flaw in "Entitled to an Opinion"

The main philosophical target of the "opinions are like assholes" quip is the modern, often-misused defense: "I'm entitled to my opinion." While legally and ethically, everyone has the right to *express* a viewpoint (freedom of speech), this does not mean every opinion is *epistemologically* valid or immune to criticism.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect: The Asshole of Expertise

The psychology of why so many people hold, and aggressively share, poorly informed opinions is perfectly encapsulated by the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

• The Core Bias: This cognitive bias describes how people with low competence in a specific area tend to overestimate their own ability and knowledge.
• Illusory Superiority: Individuals who are the least informed often possess an illusory superiority, leading them to have the strongest, most vocal, and least nuanced opinions.
• Lack of Metacognition: The underlying issue is a lack of metacognition—the ability to think about one's own thinking. They are too incompetent to recognize their own incompetence.

In this context, the Dunning-Kruger Effect explains why a layperson with five minutes of Google searching feels confident arguing against a seasoned expert opinion in fields like epidemiology, climate science, or economics. The "asshole" in this scenario is the unearned confidence that mistakes ignorance for insight.

The Philosophical Distinction

Philosophically, there is a crucial difference between a mere preference (e.g., "Vanilla is the best flavor," which is a subjective opinion) and an informed judgment (e.g., "The Earth is round," which is a statement of fact supported by evidence). * The Danger of "Truthiness": Philosophers critique the "entitled to an opinion" mindset as enabling "truthiness," a term popularized by Stephen Colbert that refers to beliefs felt to be true without regard to evidence, logic, or facts. * The Burden of Proof: A truly valuable opinion is one that is well-researched, logically consistent, and open to revision based on new evidence. It is a conclusion, not a starting point. The idiom serves as a warning: if your opinion is not backed by critical thinking, it’s just noise.

The Digital Age: Why the Adage is More Relevant Than Ever

The explosion of social media has fundamentally changed the nature of public discourse, transforming the casual opinion into a weapon of mass communication, making the "opinions are like assholes" sentiment a central theme of the Post-Truth Era.

1. The Rise of the Echo Chamber and Tribalism

Social media algorithms are designed to keep users engaged by feeding them content that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, a phenomenon known as Confirmation Bias. * Curated Feeds: This creates Echo Chambers where opinions are constantly reinforced by like-minded individuals, leading to stronger tribalism and an unwillingness to listen to dissenting views. * The Toxicity of Discourse: When opinions are constantly validated within a closed group, they become sacrosanct and resistant to rational arguments, leading to increasingly toxic and uncivil online discourse.

2. The War on Expertise (Lay Opinion vs. Expert Opinion)

In the digital age, the perceived barrier to entry for public commentary has vanished. * Misinformation and Disinformation: The ease of publishing has led to a flood of misinformation and disinformation, where unqualified lay opinion is given the same digital weight as a vetted expert opinion. * The Threat to Sound Decisions: When people rely on their own or their social circle's ill-informed opinions for critical decisions (such as health, finance, or politics), the collective consequence is a significant threat to public well-being and sound civic decision-making.

3. The Volume Problem (Argumentum ad Populum)

The internet allows for opinions to be aggregated and quantified through likes, shares, and comments, creating a false sense of validity. * Logical Fallacy: This is a form of the Argumentum ad Populum (appeal to the people) logical fallacy, suggesting that an opinion must be true or correct simply because many people hold it. * Noise Over Substance: The idiom reminds us that a million people holding a bad opinion still results in a million bad opinions. The sheer volume of commentary on platforms like X (Twitter), Reddit, and Facebook is the digital equivalent of a public space filled with unpleasant noise. In conclusion, "Opinions are like assholes" is far more than a crude joke. It is a sharp, populist piece of rhetoric that serves as an essential check on intellectual arrogance. In a world where every thought can be instantly broadcast, the phrase is a vital, if vulgar, plea for humility, critical thinking, and the recognition that while having an opinion is a right, making it worth listening to is a responsibility.