---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've had strong opinions probably since I…"
description: "\"I've had strong opinions probably since I was born. It makes you unpopular, but what can you do?\" — James D. Watson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/james-d-watson-4724_born_i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since_720331.png"
---

#  I've had strong opinions probably since I was born. It…

![“I've had strong opinions probably since I was born. It makes you unpopular, but what can you do?” quote by James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/james-d-watson-4724_born_i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since_720331.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/james-d-watson-4724_born_i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since_720331.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/james-d-watson-4724_born_i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since_720331.png)

> “I've had strong opinions probably since I was born. It makes you unpopular, but what can you do?”

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Strong opinions formed early can alienate others, yet they are a natural part of personal development.

**In simple terms:** Early strong opinions may cause unpopularity.

Key Takeaway

Own your opinions, but stay open.

Themes

confidence social risk intellectual honesty

Mood

thoughtful candid

Type

scientific personal

When to use this quote

- academic debates
- team collaborations
- public speaking

Key Concepts

personal identity communication science culture

Questions to Reflect On

- When have your opinions helped versus hurt?
- How can you express strong views constructively?

A Different Perspective

Strong opinions can hinder collaboration if not tempered.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [I was born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-was-born/) [Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes/) [Makes Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes-unpopular-1734195/) [Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/) [Opinions Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions-probably-5662936/) [Since](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/since/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strong opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-opinions/) [Unpopular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpopular/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/)

## Related quotes

> [I just did what I did and I still am. It makes you unpopular, maybe for a lifetime, but I'd rather do that than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barnes/i-just-did-what-i-did-and-i-still-am-it-makes-you-unpopular-maybe-for/)

[Robert Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barnes/)

> [I HATE HALLOWEEN. This makes me VERY unpopular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zucker/i-hate-halloween-this-makes-me-very-unpopular/)

[Rachel Zucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zucker/)

> [I have very strong opinions about bagels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/i-have-very-strong-opinions-about-bagels/)

[J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/)

> [Nebraskans have very strong opinions, but we sit down around a table and we solve our problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-heineman/nebraskans-have-very-strong-opinions-but-we-sit-down-around-a-table/)

[Dave Heineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-heineman/)

> [People always ask what's it like to grow up as a Kennedy. It's a family. It's big, it's large, it's amazing. You've got strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-kennedy-iii/people-always-ask-what-s-it-like-to-grow-up-as-a-kennedy-it-s-a/)

[Joe Kennedy III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-kennedy-iii/)

> [I mean comedy is something that's very personal and people have strong opinions about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lucas/i-mean-comedy-is-something-that-s-very-personal-and-people-have/)

[Matt Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lucas/)

> [I like critics with strong opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-eddy/i-like-critics-with-strong-opinions/)

[Chuck Eddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-eddy/)

> [A man of strong opinions is one thing. But a man whose strong opinions depend entirely on how he is feeling in that instant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-coren/a-man-of-strong-opinions-is-one-thing-but-a-man-whose-strong-opinions/)

[Giles Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-coren/)

> [I'm obsessed with politics, and I talk about it any chance I can get. I have strong opinions about how the world should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/i-m-obsessed-with-politics-and-i-talk-about-it-any-chance-i-can-get-i/)

[Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/)

> [I was always very curious about what a scientist's life was like when I was young. Of course, when I was young, you didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-was-always-very-curious-about-what-a-scientist-s-life-was-like-when/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [I am honest enough with myself to admit it. I rarely offer strong opinions, I have a backbone like a pair of bifold doors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/i-am-honest-enough-with-myself-to-admit-it-i-rarely-offer-strong/)

[Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/)

> [I have a very strong belief in what I like, or a very strong opinion in genre films that I like to watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-stahelski/i-have-a-very-strong-belief-in-what-i-like-or-a-very-strong-opinion/)

[Chad Stahelski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-stahelski/)

> [Anyone who generates opinion for a living is going to get plenty of feedback, positive or negative. Some people indeed don't like the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemele-hill/anyone-who-generates-opinion-for-a-living-is-going-to-get-plenty-of/)

[Jemele Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemele-hill/)

> [If you want a reliable tip, drive into a town, go to the nearest appliance store and seek out the dishwasher repair man. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-q-miller/if-you-want-a-reliable-tip-drive-into-a-town-go-to-the-nearest/)

[Bryan Q. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-q-miller/)

> [Frankly, I’m suspicious of anyone who has a strong opinion on a complicated issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/frankly-i-m-suspicious-of-anyone-who-has-a-strong-opinion-on-a/)

[Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/)

## More by James D. Watson

> [As a child, I lived with being punier than other boys in class. The only consolation was my parents' empathy - they encouraged constant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/as-a-child-i-lived-with-being-punier-than-other-boys-in-class-the/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [Take young researchers, put them together in virtual seclusion, give them an unprecedented degree of freedom and turn up the pressure by fostering competitiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/take-young-researchers-put-them-together-in-virtual-seclusion-give/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [Polls consistently show that the majority of Americans favour research using embryonic stem cells and yet politicians continue to pander to the outspoken religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/polls-consistently-show-that-the-majority-of-americans-favour/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [You move forward through knowledge. You prevail through knowledge. I love the word 'prevail.' Prevail!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/you-move-forward-through-knowledge-you-prevail-through-knowledge-i/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [As an educator, I have always striven to see that the fruits of the American Dream are available to all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/as-an-educator-i-have-always-striven-to-see-that-the-fruits-of-the/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [The brain is the last and grandest biological frontier, the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our universe. It contains hundreds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/the-brain-is-the-last-and-grandest-biological-frontier-the-most/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [No good model ever accounted for all the facts, since some data was bound to be misleading if not plain wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/no-good-model-ever-accounted-for-all-the-facts-since-some-data-was/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/one-could-not-be-a-successful-scientist-without-realizing-that-in/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [If we could honestly promise young couples that we knew how to give them offspring with superior character, why should we assume they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/if-we-could-honestly-promise-young-couples-that-we-knew-how-to-give/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [The way to do great science is to stay away from subjects that are overpopulated, and go to the frontiers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/the-way-to-do-great-science-is-to-stay-away-from-subjects-that-are/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [Remember, grab you're future with both hands and mold it into what you want it to be. It's the determined, who create the life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/remember-grab-you-re-future-with-both-hands-and-mold-it-into-what-you/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [I wish there would be more movies about scientists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-wish-there-would-be-more-movies-about-scientists/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [I don't want 100 different cures of cancer. I want, you know, give me five. So if you had, you know, five medicines, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-don-t-want-100-different-cures-of-cancer-i-want-you-know-give-me/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [One-third of all female infertility is the result of blocked fallopian tubes. If fertilization could be done in the lab and then the fertilized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/one-third-of-all-female-infertility-is-the-result-of-blocked/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

> [I wanted to see if I could write a good book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-wanted-to-see-if-i-could-write-a-good-book/)

[James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

[Explore all 107 James D. Watson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/)

## More Born quotes

> [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/)

[Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/)

[Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/)

> [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/)

[Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/)

> [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/)

[Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/)

[Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/)

> [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/)

[Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/)

> [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/)

[Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/)

> [If you can believe it, Hollywood wanted to change my birthdate. I was born after Valentine's Day, so they wanted to change it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/if-you-can-believe-it-hollywood-wanted-to-change-my-birthdate-i-was/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

[Browse all 11,606 Born quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I've had strong opinions probably since I was born. It makes you unpopular, but what can you do?",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James D. Watson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since-i-was-born-it-makes-you/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Born"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since-i-was-born-it-makes-you/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/james-d-watson-4724_born_i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since_720331.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/james-d-watson-4724_born_i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since_720331.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/058/james-d-watson-4724_born_i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since_720331.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've had strong opinions probably since I was born. It makes you unpopular, but what can you do?” — James D. Watson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "James D. Watson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've had strong opinions probably since...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since-i-was-born-it-makes-you/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/i-ve-had-strong-opinions-probably-since-i-was-born-it-makes-you/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
