TFIPOST हिन्दी
TFIPOST Global
Tfipost.com
Tfipost.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • All
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
    Centre Allows Govt Staff 30 Days Leave to Care for Elderly Parents:

    Central Govt Employees Can Now Take 30 Days Earned Leave for Aged Parents’ Care : Jitendra Singh

    PM Narendra Modia

    Narendra Modi Surpasses Indira Gandhi to Become India’s Second-Longest Serving Prime Minister in an Unbroken Tenure

    Yogi Govt to End 6-Decade Wait, Grant Land to East Pakistan Hindu Refugees

    Yogi Govt to End 6-Decade Wait, Grant Land Titles to East Pakistan Hindu Refugees

    Temple Row Sparks Fresh Violence Between Thailand and Cambodia

    Border Tensions Flare Again Between Thailand and Cambodia: Ancient Shiva Temple Dispute Turns Deadly

    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • All
    • Business
    • Economy1
    • Finance
    Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds formally signed the Free Trade Agreement

    India, UK Sign Historic FTA; Modi Sends Stern Message on Terror, Corruption, and Democracy Abuse

    What Can the Hindustan Zinc Share Price Tell Us About Strategic Resource Investing in India

    What Can the Hindustan Zinc Share Price Tell Us About Strategic Resource Investing in India

    How to Choose the Best Bank to Open a Savings Account in 2025

    How to Choose the Best Bank to Open a Savings Account in 2025

    Ahead of PM Modi's visit, Cabinet approves free trade agreement between India and UK

    PM Modi to Sign Landmark Free Trade Deal With UK as Cabinet Gives Green Light

    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • All
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
    IAF Seeks 2–3 Squadrons of Foreign Fifth‑Generation Fighters to Bridge Airpower Gap

    IAF Pushes For 2–3 Squadrons of Foreign Fifth‑Generation Fighters to Bridge Airpower Gap

    BSF Initiates Drone Warfare Upgradation After Operation Sindoor

    BSF Initiates Biggest-Ever Plan To Upgrade Drone Warfare Ecosystem After Operation Sindoor

    BITS Students Build Kamikaze Drones, Power Indian Army

    Kamikaze Drones from Campus Hostel : This is How Two BITS Students Deliver Combat-Ready Drones to Indian Army

    Apache: World’s Most Advanced Attack Helicopter Now in Indian Hands

    Apache Choppers Near Pakistan Border: A Strategic Game Changer for India

    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • All
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
    Bail Rejected by Chattogram Sessions Court for Chinmoy Krishna Das

    Chinmoy Krishna Das Denied Bail Again Amid Growing Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

    India on Alert Amid Strategic Shifts

    Pakistan and Bangladesh Sign Visa-Free Deal for Officials; India on Alert Amid Strategic Shifts

    Temple Row Sparks Fresh Violence Between Thailand and Cambodia

    Border Tensions Flare Again Between Thailand and Cambodia: Ancient Shiva Temple Dispute Turns Deadly

    Narendra Modi Surpasses Indira Gandhi to Become India’s Second-Longest Serving Prime Minister in an Unbroken Tenure

    India, China Review Border Situation, Gear Up for High-Level Special Representative Talks

    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • All
    • Culture
    • Education
    • History
    • Indology
    NCERT Textbook Reveals Mughal Religious Intolerance

    Ruthless Babur, Violent Akbar, Destructive Aurangzeb: NCERT Textbook Reveals Mughal Religious Intolerance

    India Built Gardens Long Before Babur Dreamt of Charbagh

    Before the Mughals: India’s Civilisation Built Gardens Long Before Babur Dreamt of Charbaghs

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Echoes of the Cholas in Today’s Bharat

    Conqueror of the Seas: Rajendra Chola and the Rise of Naval Bharat

    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • All
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Games
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Satire
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    India Becomes First Country to Digitally Preserve Traditional Medicine Using Artificial Intelligence

    India Becomes First Country to Digitally Preserve Traditional Medicine Using Artificial Intelligence

    Highest RTP Casino Games to Get Better Wins

    Highest RTP Casino Games to Get Better Wins

    How to Use Eyebrow Tinting Kits Like a Salon Expert

    How to Use Eyebrow Tinting Kits Like a Salon Expert

    One in Four Indian Married Couples Are Now Overweight

    ICMR Study: One in Four Indian Married Couples Are Now Overweight or Obese—Shared Lifestyle to Blame

    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
Tfipost.com
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • All
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
    Centre Allows Govt Staff 30 Days Leave to Care for Elderly Parents:

    Central Govt Employees Can Now Take 30 Days Earned Leave for Aged Parents’ Care : Jitendra Singh

    PM Narendra Modia

    Narendra Modi Surpasses Indira Gandhi to Become India’s Second-Longest Serving Prime Minister in an Unbroken Tenure

    Yogi Govt to End 6-Decade Wait, Grant Land to East Pakistan Hindu Refugees

    Yogi Govt to End 6-Decade Wait, Grant Land Titles to East Pakistan Hindu Refugees

    Temple Row Sparks Fresh Violence Between Thailand and Cambodia

    Border Tensions Flare Again Between Thailand and Cambodia: Ancient Shiva Temple Dispute Turns Deadly

    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • All
    • Business
    • Economy1
    • Finance
    Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds formally signed the Free Trade Agreement

    India, UK Sign Historic FTA; Modi Sends Stern Message on Terror, Corruption, and Democracy Abuse

    What Can the Hindustan Zinc Share Price Tell Us About Strategic Resource Investing in India

    What Can the Hindustan Zinc Share Price Tell Us About Strategic Resource Investing in India

    How to Choose the Best Bank to Open a Savings Account in 2025

    How to Choose the Best Bank to Open a Savings Account in 2025

    Ahead of PM Modi's visit, Cabinet approves free trade agreement between India and UK

    PM Modi to Sign Landmark Free Trade Deal With UK as Cabinet Gives Green Light

    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • All
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
    IAF Seeks 2–3 Squadrons of Foreign Fifth‑Generation Fighters to Bridge Airpower Gap

    IAF Pushes For 2–3 Squadrons of Foreign Fifth‑Generation Fighters to Bridge Airpower Gap

    BSF Initiates Drone Warfare Upgradation After Operation Sindoor

    BSF Initiates Biggest-Ever Plan To Upgrade Drone Warfare Ecosystem After Operation Sindoor

    BITS Students Build Kamikaze Drones, Power Indian Army

    Kamikaze Drones from Campus Hostel : This is How Two BITS Students Deliver Combat-Ready Drones to Indian Army

    Apache: World’s Most Advanced Attack Helicopter Now in Indian Hands

    Apache Choppers Near Pakistan Border: A Strategic Game Changer for India

    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • All
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
    Bail Rejected by Chattogram Sessions Court for Chinmoy Krishna Das

    Chinmoy Krishna Das Denied Bail Again Amid Growing Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

    India on Alert Amid Strategic Shifts

    Pakistan and Bangladesh Sign Visa-Free Deal for Officials; India on Alert Amid Strategic Shifts

    Temple Row Sparks Fresh Violence Between Thailand and Cambodia

    Border Tensions Flare Again Between Thailand and Cambodia: Ancient Shiva Temple Dispute Turns Deadly

    Narendra Modi Surpasses Indira Gandhi to Become India’s Second-Longest Serving Prime Minister in an Unbroken Tenure

    India, China Review Border Situation, Gear Up for High-Level Special Representative Talks

    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • All
    • Culture
    • Education
    • History
    • Indology
    NCERT Textbook Reveals Mughal Religious Intolerance

    Ruthless Babur, Violent Akbar, Destructive Aurangzeb: NCERT Textbook Reveals Mughal Religious Intolerance

    India Built Gardens Long Before Babur Dreamt of Charbagh

    Before the Mughals: India’s Civilisation Built Gardens Long Before Babur Dreamt of Charbaghs

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Echoes of the Cholas in Today’s Bharat

    Conqueror of the Seas: Rajendra Chola and the Rise of Naval Bharat

    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • All
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Games
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Satire
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    India Becomes First Country to Digitally Preserve Traditional Medicine Using Artificial Intelligence

    India Becomes First Country to Digitally Preserve Traditional Medicine Using Artificial Intelligence

    Highest RTP Casino Games to Get Better Wins

    Highest RTP Casino Games to Get Better Wins

    How to Use Eyebrow Tinting Kits Like a Salon Expert

    How to Use Eyebrow Tinting Kits Like a Salon Expert

    One in Four Indian Married Couples Are Now Overweight

    ICMR Study: One in Four Indian Married Couples Are Now Overweight or Obese—Shared Lifestyle to Blame

    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
No Result
View All Result
Tfipost.com
Tfipost.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Defense
  • Geopolitics
  • Knowledge
  • Law
  • Lounge

Neutrality is overrated

Robert Barker by Robert Barker
12 July 2015
in Opinions, TFIUvaach
Neutrality is overrated
Share on FacebookShare on X

I’m going to start this article with a controversial statement: Neutrality, of any kind, is overrated. It does not exist, and anybody claiming to maintain equipoise in all matters of importance, is either outright lying, or a character straight out of Christian Bale’s Equilibrium. Since we barely see any Gun-Kata in any real life, the personal feeling of this author veers more to the first possibility. This article will try and argue why sensible public discourse should not include neutrality as a standard, and at the same time point out how that is not necessarily a deal-breaker when it comes to having healthy debates.

The formation of opinions:

RelatedPosts

Bharat Calls for Condemnation of Hamas Attack, Opts to Abstain at UN Vote

Naseeruddin Shah sees the success of “Gadar 2” and “The Kashmir Files” as problematic

“What is frivolous to you is faith for others”: Supreme Court greenlights the ASI survey

Load More

To think that humans form opinions in a vacuum is largely false. Ultimately, your opinion towards any particular issue is largely a product of the circumstances of your birth and your family, your education, your access to information, your exposure to science and religion, your economic and social circumstances; and many more such parameters. Indeed, the variables are so large that it’s largely impossible to predict how a person turns out, and why they have a certain opinion on something in that particular manner. To thus claim that one can some how put aside their entire life experiences while making statements on the human condition, is either being incredibly naive or supremely hypocritical. It is absolutely hysterical, at least to this author, when some opinion makers (especially in India) are related to people in Govt., were part of the youth wing of a particular political party, or downright members in that party; and still take the sanctimonious stand that they are somehow ‘neutral’ and can make an unbiased opinion.

Neutrality vs. Objectivity:

Does the lack of neutrality mean the end of sensible political discourse? No, absolutely not. Whilst neutrality is indeed overrated, objectivity is not. Despite being synonymous for all practical purposes, there is a subtle difference between the two words. Objectivity is based on the express premise that one’s decision/opinion is expressly based on empirical evidence. Indeed, this is the fundamental premise that all credible natural scientists work with. They might have personal feelings about how a certain phenomenon works, but unless there’s statistically significant evidence to back this claim, they refrain from making statements in support of this claim, at least in public. This night vs. day, black vs. white distinction is however easier said than done when it comes to the social sciences. Unlike the natural sciences which is based purely on empirical evidence, making statements on the human condition is also based to a large extent on one’s personal feelings and prejudices, and in most cases is very subjective in its interpretation. This is fundamentally the reason why one has left and right-leaning economists and historians, both in the mainstream, and no particular group is discredited for simply leaning towards one side or the other. Additionally, unlike the natural sciences, qualifications and training is not necessarily asked of someone who wishes to comment on the human condition as it affects most of us on a direct, personal level on a very realistic time-scale, and thus everyone has an opinion on it, however crude or sophisticated.

Improving the standard of public discourse:

The quality of public discourse in general should be judged on the quality of the arguments made and not the inherent biases of the author. This can however only be done, if one makes these biases explicitly clear right when the opinion-piece begins, so that the reader or the viewer approaches the piece with a dose of healthy skepticism. This is a much better alternative to simply feigning equipoise when none exists. Interestingly, one profession has been doing this for centuries now, and democratic societies have largely accepted this without questioning it too much. The legal profession works with the intrinsic assumption that lawyers are biased towards their client (State or individual/corporation), and neutrality is not a metric that they are judged upon while they make their arguments. Ultimately, the final judgement (assuming the judge is not biased, and the judicial process follows the rules and so on), is based solely on the evidence at hand, and the strength of one’s narrative which the lawyer puts up, that wins the case for their client.The best way to have healthy public discourses would be to hold our journalists and opinion-makers to a similar standard. Instead of expecting them to be neutral when it comes to expressing their opinion, they should be asked to be transparent with respect to any biases, prejudices, conflicts of interest (not simply of the monetary kind) that could potentially influence and shape their opinion. While expecting the Indian media to have the same levels of transparency as in many Western countries is probably out of the question, explicit declarations such as these from journalists should be the norm rather than the exception. This will ensure that public discourse will be spent more on discussing the strength of the arguments made rather than one’s motives, as the average reader/viewer’s skepticism radar is on full-alert. Interestingly, there is at least one state where one can study the influence of having skewed, yet multi-polar narratives. Tamil Nadu is one of the few states in India where almost all political  parties have mainstream TV channels and newspapers, that serve as quasi-official mouthpieces of their respective political parties. The average citizen doesn’t bother with the question of neutrality as it simply does not exist. This strange setup however ensures that people get multiple perspectives to the same issue and are then left to their own devices to come to their own conclusions. Indeed, anecdotal evidence of this author suggests, that people in Tamil Nadu have some of the strongest political acumen in India, and is reflected in the fact that it’s probably the only  place where a few roadside tea-shops have signs explicitly stating that the discussion of politics is simply not allowed, lest it clogs the benches for a long at the very least, or it leads to fistfights at its worst. This author is of course not suggesting that all media houses have to be owned by political parties, but if they indeed do have some connections, they must come clean, especially if the connection is familial.

To wrap it with a bow:

At the end of the day it’s absolutely fine to be biased towards a political party or ideology, so long as it’s not blatantly bellicose, and exists with the express purpose of causing pain and suffering to a section of people. You are not neutral, neither am I, nor is anyone else. If a platform is explicitly stating their political leaning, judge their opinions on the strength of their arguments. Despite the arguments in this article if you would still like to believe that someone can be absolutely mathematical and detached when commenting on social issues, I would like to meet them. They are probably proponents of Gun-Kata, and I think I could use a few lessons.

Tags: center-leftcenter-rightneutralityopinion
ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

Kanika Neeti

Next Post

Politics in Pie Charts

Related Posts

A Response to Dr. Ruchika Sharma’s Reading of History
Opinions

On Truth and Taxes: A Response to Dr. Ruchika Sharma’s Reading of History

23 July 2025

In her recent piece in The Indian Express, historian Ruchika Sharma takes aim at the revised NCERT Class VIII...

How Manusmriti Differs from the Epics
Opinions

How Manusmriti Differs from the Epics

17 July 2025

Ancient Indian texts are among humanity’s richest intellectual and moral legacies. From the Vedas and Upanishads to the Mahabharata,...

Western Media’s Civilizational Insecurity Against India
Opinions

Western Media’s Civilizational Insecurity Against India Masked as Journalism

16 July 2025

Western media's relentless bias against India stems from deep-rooted civilizational jealousy and colonial guilt. Unable to accept a rising,...

Load More

Comments 1

  1. amartya says:
    10 years ago

    awesome

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Currently Playing

One Woman. Two Brothers. Jodidaran- A Living Example of Polyandry in Himachal's Hatti Tribe.

One Woman. Two Brothers. Jodidaran- A Living Example of Polyandry in Himachal's Hatti Tribe.

00:05:32

Lashkar-e-Taiba on the Run from Muridke: Is Bahawalpur Becoming Pakistan’s New Terror Capital?

00:07:26

Britain’s Million-Dollar Bird Finally Takes Off!

00:06:43

Maharashtra targets crypto christians. fake dalit quota scam exposed.

00:04:16

The Forgotten Maratha Legacy in Tamil Nadu

00:07:37
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
tfipostTfipost.com
Right Wing | News Analysis | Indian Opinion
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Brand Partnerships
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
MASHABLE IS A GLOBAL, MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY. FOR MORE QUERIES AND NEWS, CONTACT US AT info@mashablepartners.com


©2025 TFI Media Private Limited

No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
TFIPOST हिन्दी
TFIPOST Global

©2025 TFI Media Private Limited