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 “Good is subjective. What is good for you may not be good for me.” (Izey Victoria Odiase)

What is the difference between objective and subjective? Objective is a statement that is completely unbiased. It is not touched by the speaker’s previous experiences. It is verifiable by facts or mathematical calculations. It is important to be objective when you are making any kind of a rational decision. It might involve purchasing something.

You should also be objective when you are reading news sources. Being objective when you are meeting and having discussions with new people helps you to keep your concentration focused on your goal rather than on any emotions your meeting might trigger.

Subjective is a statement that has been colored by the character of the speaker (or writer). It often has a basis in reality, but reflects the perspective through the way the speaker views their reality. It cannot be verified using concrete facts and figures.

When you are watching a movie or reading a book for pleasure, being subjective and getting caught up in the world of the characters makes your experience more enjoyable. If you are discussing any type of art, you have to keep in mind that everyone’s opinions on a particular piece are subjective.

Let me provide a personal example to clarify these two words based on the pictures connected to this post.  Objectively, this wall of my bedroom used to be the my daughter, Allena’s, bedroom. The cartoon flowers and hearts were stenciled on the wall, and painted by hand by my wife and I. It was a detailed process, but well-worth the excitement on my young daughter’s face at the time we underwent the process. All the details just given (and more) can be verified by my wife and daughter.

Subjectively, this paint treatment isn’t manly enough for a male my age. I have never painted over it because of happy mood it puts me in. It reminds me of the young girl my daughter was at one time (which makes me smile). The wall was a visible emotional way for Bobbi and me to declare to our daughter, “Allena, look what we did for you. We love you very much.” 

Plus, I feel exhausted when I think of the work that would go into repainting the wall. All the subjective statements I just presented you with are based entirely on my emotions. It cannot be assessed factually like the information in the previous paragraph could.

There's a limit to a human being’s objectivity. With practice and solid strategies in place, you can make the most objective choice possible. Below are seven strategies to ensure you make objective decisions that aren't influenced by unrelated facts:

 

Acknowledge and compensate for your biases: Our decisions stop being objective when our emotions and biases begin to interfere with our evaluations. In order to reduce this impact, think critically about your own mentality and what factors could contribute to a subjective decision. How much and how well do you know the other people involved with the decision?

What past experiences could lead you to a biased view on the different options available to you? What assumptions have you made? Consider these carefully when determining which direction you're leaning toward--if you find yourself leaning toward or away from an option because of these biases, restructure your thinking.

Create a scoring system: This is a way to reduce your decision down to a game of numbers. Assign positive or negative points to each quality associated with each of your decisions, and keep a total score running for each one.

For example, the fact that a new potential marketing strategy is inexpensive might be worth 3 points, but the fact that it's a moderate risk might be worth negative 2 points, leaving it with 1 point remaining. Once you've taken everything into consideration, one decision will be objectively worth more than the other. You'll still be affected by your subjective opinions, but they'll only be manifesting on a factor-by-factor basis, thereby reducing their impact.

Experiment by reversing your line of thinking: During the decision making process, you're going to make assumptions--it's both natural and unpreventable. But that doesn't mean you can't tinker with those assumptions in order to get a fuller, more objective view of the situation. For example, you might assume that your company is going to continue growing in revenue, but what if your sales decrease over the next two years? How would your decision play out?

Imagine counseling a friend: It's easy to get lost in your own head when considering all the possible factors that could affect the outcome of your decision. Imaging your own advice if you were counseling a friend on making the decision can help you understand what an outsider's perspective might be. Because you're in the middle of a situation, your views are distorted, but on the outside, you might see things differently. Imagine your friend telling you the problem using only the most important information, and think about what you might say in return.

Make a decision and live with it: Ultimately, no matter how much you pore over a decision or think about all the possible consequences, a decision will have to be made. There's no avoiding it. Don't delay making a decision just because you can't come down easily on one side or the other--instead, make a decision and hold firm to that decision. You can deal with any consequences of that decision as they arise later. In most cases, making a bad decision is still a lot better than making no decision at all.

Strip down your deciding factors: This strategy is useful when your decision is particularly difficult. Instead of trying to think of everything that could possibly be accounted for when making the decision, try to limit what you have to interpret.

Strip down the deciding factors to a minimal number; for example, if you're deciding between two new jobs, you could pare the decision down to salary, work culture, and potential for growth. Eliminate any factor that isn't one of your primary considerations, and look at what remains. It's far easier to make an objective decision based on three pieces of information than it is based on a hundred. The only hard part is determining which factors are most important.

 Use pro and con lists: Pro and con lists are an old standby, but they're still a worthwhile pursuit. Take each option in your decision and make two lists for each; on one side, you'll have all the benefits of an option and on the other, you'll have all the downsides. Try to give your list a sense of scale; for instance, a $10,000 upside should be more of a considering factor than a 1 minute increase in travel time for a downside. This can help you think through all the positives and negatives of all your options, and help you visualize the generally best candidate.

“Ask yourself often: Am I observing the situation accurately, or am I projecting how I feel onto what is happening.” (Yung Pueblo)[i]

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[i] Adapted from:

·        “7 Strategies for Making Objective Decisions” by Inc.com

·        “Difference between Objective and Subjective” by Difference Between

2 Views of my bedroom walls