Does anyone else find this phrase extremely annoying?

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Right, you're in an argument/discussion/debate with someone at school or work or home or wherever, and you say something, and then they say:

"In your opinion!"

Well DUH. In an argument/discussion/debate, what I say is my opinion, so why state the obvious?!

My mum does it all the time, and my copycat brother now does it all the time, and it drives me INSANE!

It's a way of disagreeing with you... it's a reminder that they don't have to share your opinion. Similar phrases include: "That's what you think" and "Says you."

I disagree (see what I did there? ) It's a way of dismissing your opinion without actually coming up with an argument of their own. The subtext is "That's your opinion. and your opinion doesn't matter"
God, I hate people who do that.

That's why, for politeness' sake, I always state it's my opinion before others do.

That is one phrase that raises my hackles.
Another one that makes me want to punch a person in the face is, "Whatever."

That's what people say when they can't be arsed to think of a proper answer. So they just make themselves look stupid by saying it.

My arguments are about facts, I don't argue about my own personal views because I don't impose my views upon others. I've never had to deal with this really because every time someone says it I give them the definition of fact and opinion and make them feel so stupid they stop talking.

Just tell them anything that can be proven without a doubt is not an opinion. If they keep arguing with facts just accept that they are in denial and ignore them. I see no reason to waste time on people who can't make rational opinions without being led there by other people.

I hate that phrase so much. Good to know I'm not alone on this one.

It depends on the tone of voice, I guess. But it can be annoying.

And indeed 'People who say whatever in reply' are a subculture I cannot stand.

Personally, I usually say "Whatever" because what I do have to say won't go down so well

It is an extremely annoying & useless phrase. I usually find it's best to inform the person that for future reference they can go right ahead & assume anything coming out of my mouth is my opinion unless I state otherwise, & that I would rather they focused on explaining why they disagree with my self-evidently correct opinions rather than stating the obvious.

Or else I hop up & down in red-faced incoherent rage, depending on my mood.

It seems a bit childish, and I would think that in turn it only makes them look childish. At least come up with a proper inteligent answer not something like that or even the words "meh', as they must truely be classified under being the response of the ignorant, or in the words of Kim makes you look like an ignoramus.

I find it irritating, mostly because I have a co-worker who tries to devalue any statement I make, she almost gets to the attacking phase and I have to defuse the situation by watering down my answers to her to make her feel smart (she's a know it all). She responds to me with "in your opinion" often, so it grinds my gears. I actually looked up how to take the wind out of a know it all's sails and delute their sense of know it alliness by just responding with a general " I guess" works well.

Oddly enough, I find all the time that I have to state that what I am saying is just my opinion. My husband often gets offended because he thinks that I am saying that my view is cold hard fact. I am not, I am simply stating the situation as it appears to me (of course). So I often have to explain this or preface my statements with some kind of disclaimer. Even so he often still finds it offensive. What is it these days about not being able to express an opinion that differs from that of another person within earshot? *shrug*

It is something I use when someone asserts opinion as fact, using language that frames their beliefs as absolutes. And that is a massive pet peeve for me.


M.

I find that "whatever" often suits me, not as a dismissive word, but a statement that:

1. I admit I don't have the energy to deal with a subject right now/don't know enough to respond intelligently.

2. the only negative use for me: when someone is persistent about a point about which I hugely disagree and the other party's not listening or considering my responses - I'll say "whatever" because it's better than pointing that they're being a douchebag/a$$hole/biotch.

"In your opinion" isn't annoying or infuriating to me - I see it as a confession that the other party doesn't know what to say or is uninformed and would rather be defensive than admit ignorance.

I don't know if this problem exists outside of the US - but I hate our culture's persistent confusion of "ignorance" and "insularity". Ignorance is really the mere lack of knowledge, and usually cureable ("read a book, dammit"). By definition, I may always be ignorant about particle physics, obscure languages, or how derivatives work.

People called "ignorant" are usually really just being "insular" - which means a desire to remain ignorant. From a Xtian fundamentalist who is insular for example: "I don't need to know about Islam to know it's false religion".

However, the concepts are confused all of the time. Sometimes by me. Sorry to hijack the thread to turn it into my own syntactic rant.