Attitudes and Opinions

An opinion is an expression of attitude. It may be expressed by writing, by speak­ing, by acting, or by not acting. People who fail to express their opinions may do so because their attitudes are weak or because they don't believe that expressing them­selves will do any good.

An attitude is a predisposition to think, speak, or act in a given way about a specific subject. No one is born with an attitude — all attitudes are learned. Some attitudes are deeply rooted; when tied into other attitudes, beliefs, and values, they may be very hard to change.

In the case of the proposed factory move, the opinion of the stockholders is prob­ably based on an attitude concerned with costs and profits. The opinion of the employees is probably based on a concern for their jobs or the inconvenience of moving to a new environment.

In public relations, it is necessary to think about the attitudes of the partic­ular public you are trying to influence. You must also know how public opinion is built.