---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Understand how people came by their…"
description: "\"“Understand how people came by their opinions.”\" — Ray Dalio"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/ray-dalio-299_opinions_understand-how-people-came-by-their-opin_646827.jpg"
---

#  Understand how people came by their opinions.

![“Understand how people came by their opinions.” quote by Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/ray-dalio-299_opinions_understand-how-people-came-by-their-opin_646827.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/ray-dalio-299_opinions_understand-how-people-came-by-their-opin_646827.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/ray-dalio-299_opinions_understand-how-people-came-by-their-opin_646827.jpg)

> ““Understand how people came by their opinions.””

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

## About This Quote

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

Understanding the origins of opinions helps evaluate their validity.

**In simple terms:** Know why people hold their views.

Key Takeaway

Question the basis of beliefs.

Themes

critical thinking psychology communication

Mood

inquisitive reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- debates
- team meetings
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

cognitive bias opinion formation

Questions to Reflect On

- What influences your own opinions?
- How can you respectfully challenge others' beliefs?

A Different Perspective

People may resist questioning deeply held views.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Came Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came-opinions-5181160/) [Opinions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/) [People Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-came/) [Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand/) [Understand People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understand-people/)

## Related quotes

> [“managers who do not understand people’s different thinking styles cannot understand how the people working for them will handle different situations, which is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/managers-who-do-not-understand-people-s-different-thinking-styles-2/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“I urge you to be curious enough to want to understand how the people who see things differently from you came to see them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-urge-you-to-be-curious-enough-to-want-to-understand-how-the-people-2/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [Some people seek to understand, and some people seek to portray what they want to portray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/some-people-seek-to-understand-and-some-people-seek-to-portray-what/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“I urge you to be curious enough to want to understand how the people who see things differently from you came to see them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-urge-you-to-be-curious-enough-to-want-to-understand-how-the-people/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“Managers who do not understand people's different thinking styles cannot understand how the people working for them will handle different situations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/managers-who-do-not-understand-people-s-different-thinking-styles/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [I try to understand people who do violence. I try to understand what they are feeling and experiencing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolanda-king/i-try-to-understand-people-who-do-violence-i-try-to-understand-what/)

[Yolanda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolanda-king/)

> [“Tolerance, meanwhile, is about learning how to be patient. It’s about learning how to understand that people will not always be the best of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-garver/tolerance-meanwhile-is-about-learning-how-to-be-patient-it-s-about/)

[E.M. Garver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-garver/)

> [I try to understand people who aren't as smart as me and not be hateful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-coleman/i-try-to-understand-people-who-aren-t-as-smart-as-me-and-not-be/)

[Gary Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-coleman/)

> [I'm just like any other man. I understand why people become reclusive. One of my weaknesses is that I sometimes allow people in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-loftin/i-m-just-like-any-other-man-i-understand-why-people-become-reclusive/)

[Peter Loftin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-loftin/)

> [I could never understand how to build a computer, but the best I could hope for is to understand the people that do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-bishe/i-could-never-understand-how-to-build-a-computer-but-the-best-i-could/)

[Kerry Bishe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-bishe/)

> [Americans are notoriously ill-equipped for self-reflection. We're usually a very boisterous, outward-moving bunch of people, but we don't understand that much about ourselves or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-frost/americans-are-notoriously-ill-equipped-for-self-reflection-we-re/)

[Mark Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-frost/)

> [I've given up trying to understand what people think about me. It seems like a lot of people don't like the music we make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/i-ve-given-up-trying-to-understand-what-people-think-about-me-it/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [“Remember that everyone has opinions and they are often bad. Opinions are easy to produce; everyone has plenty of them and most people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/remember-that-everyone-has-opinions-and-they-are-often-bad-opinions/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“So many people came into your life, and they were such a part of the everyday that it was impossible to imagine them gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-o-hara/so-many-people-came-into-your-life-and-they-were-such-a-part-of-the/)

[Maryanne O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-o-hara/)

> [“People came to our house from far and wide. Party and military bigwigs, some guy known as the “combat commander,” the village headman, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaji-ishikawa/people-came-to-our-house-from-far-and-wide-party-and-military-bigwigs/)

[Masaji Ishikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaji-ishikawa/)

## More by Ray Dalio

> [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“Having a process that ensures problems are brought to the surface, and their root causes diagnosed, assures that continual improvements occur.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/having-a-process-that-ensures-problems-are-brought-to-the-surface-and/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“If you can’t successfully do something, don’t think you can tell others how it should be done”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/if-you-can-t-successfully-do-something-don-t-think-you-can-tell/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“Remember that a good plan should resemble a movie script.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/remember-that-a-good-plan-should-resemble-a-movie-script/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“I believe that the key to success lies in knowing how to both strive for a lot and fail well. By failing well, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-believe-that-the-key-to-success-lies-in-knowing-how-to-both-strive/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [I'm scared of one man, one vote because it suggests that everybody has an equal ability at making decisions, and I think that's dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-m-scared-of-one-man-one-vote-because-it-suggests-that-everybody-has/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“A manager’s ability to recognize when outcomes are inconsistent with goals and then modify designs and assemble people to rectify them makes all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/a-manager-s-ability-to-recognize-when-outcomes-are-inconsistent-with/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“So I learned to be radically open-minded to allow others to point out what I might be missing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/so-i-learned-to-be-radically-open-minded-to-allow-others-to-point-out/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“During those terrible days after 9/11, when the whole country was being whipsawed by emotion, or the weeks between September 19 and October 10,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/during-those-terrible-days-after-9-11-when-the-whole-country-was/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“is more effective to train that subconscious, emotional you the same way you would teach a child to behave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/is-more-effective-to-train-that-subconscious-emotional-you-the-same/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [I think that the first thing is you should have a strategic asset allocation mix that assumes that you don't know what the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-think-that-the-first-thing-is-you-should-have-a-strategic-asset/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [Life is like a game where you seek to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving your goals. You get better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/life-is-like-a-game-where-you-seek-to-overcome-the-obstacles-that/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“when we look down on ourselves through the eyes of nature we are of absolutely no significance. It is a reality that each one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/when-we-look-down-on-ourselves-through-the-eyes-of-nature-we-are-of/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“Great questions are a much better indicator of future success than great answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/great-questions-are-a-much-better-indicator-of-future-success-than/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“Georgi Plekhanov’s classic On the Role of the Individual in History.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/georgi-plekhanov-s-classic-on-the-role-of-the-individual-in-history/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

[Explore all 716 Ray Dalio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

## More Opinions quotes

> [I do have opinions. Fortunately, I neither Twitter nor Facebook. My daughter forbids me to go on social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-lipman/i-do-have-opinions-fortunately-i-neither-twitter-nor-facebook-my/)

[Maureen Lipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-lipman/)

> [Of course when you voice your opinions, there are going to be negative things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauri-markkanen/of-course-when-you-voice-your-opinions-there-are-going-to-be-negative/)

[Lauri Markkanen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauri-markkanen/)

> [I have my own opinions; you can have your own opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-have-my-own-opinions-you-can-have-your-own-opinions/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [In the end, the whole Internet thing kills me, because you can use it as a positive thing or you can read into all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/in-the-end-the-whole-internet-thing-kills-me-because-you-can-use-it/)

[Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/)

> [“When a lady does consent to listen to an argument against her own opinions, she is always predetermined to withstand it - to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/when-a-lady-does-consent-to-listen-to-an-argument-against-her-own/)

[Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

> [How is it that labels like 'centrist' and 'moderate,' which common sense tells us should reflect the views of a majority of Americans, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/how-is-it-that-labels-like-centrist-and-moderate-which-common-sense/)

[Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/)

> [Opinions are opinions. I don't mind being a part of one, negative or positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mya/opinions-are-opinions-i-don-t-mind-being-a-part-of-one-negative-or/)

[Mya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mya/)

> [I was never looking to be popular. The trade-off for me in seeking other people's opinions is the potential to help that you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cuomo/i-was-never-looking-to-be-popular-the-trade-off-for-me-in-seeking/)

[Chris Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cuomo/)

> [People can have their opinions about everything in the world, but people's opinions end where the tip of my nose begins. Your opinions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-can-have-their-opinions-about-everything-in-the-world-but/)

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

> [I never minded giving my opinions. They are just opinions, and I had studied music and I had strong feelings. I was happy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-never-minded-giving-my-opinions-they-are-just-opinions-and-i-had/)

[Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/)

> [Even good opinions are worth very little unless we hold them in the broad, intelligent, and spacious way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morley/even-good-opinions-are-worth-very-little-unless-we-hold-them-in-the/)

[John Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morley/)

> [I could sit down and give USADA my opinions on it, but I want to say they've done a great job. Guys like me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-masvidal/i-could-sit-down-and-give-usada-my-opinions-on-it-but-i-want-to-say/)

[Jorge Masvidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-masvidal/)

> [The nature of television is that it's a beast with a lot of opinions. I don't consider myself typecast any more than Neil Patrick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaleel-white/the-nature-of-television-is-that-it-s-a-beast-with-a-lot-of-opinions/)

[Jaleel White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaleel-white/)

> [Actors live dependent on being validated by other people's opinions. I don't understand what it is I do that people want. I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/actors-live-dependent-on-being-validated-by-other-people-s-opinions-i/)

[Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/)

> [My personal opinions on any subject are really not relevant, not important, and to the extent that I might inject them, I am acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-trump-barry/my-personal-opinions-on-any-subject-are-really-not-relevant-not/)

[Maryanne Trump Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-trump-barry/)

[Browse all 1,648 Opinions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinions/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Understand how people came by their opinions.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ray Dalio"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/understand-how-people-came-by-their-opinions/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Opinions"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/understand-how-people-came-by-their-opinions/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/ray-dalio-299_opinions_understand-how-people-came-by-their-opin_646827.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/ray-dalio-299_opinions_understand-how-people-came-by-their-opin_646827.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eef/ray-dalio-299_opinions_understand-how-people-came-by-their-opin_646827.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Understand how people came by their opinions.” — Ray Dalio",
                "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": "Ray Dalio",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Understand how people came by their...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/understand-how-people-came-by-their-opinions/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/understand-how-people-came-by-their-opinions/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
