Subjective vs. Relative — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 31, 2024
Subjective refers to perspectives influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions, while relative pertains to something seen in relation or comparison to something else.
Difference Between Subjective and Relative
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Subjective experiences and judgments are deeply personal, colored by individual feelings, experiences, and biases. This means that something considered beautiful or unpleasant by one person might not be viewed the same way by another. On the other hand, the concept of being relative is grounded in the idea that the significance or value of something can only be measured in comparison to something else. It suggests that characteristics or values are not inherent but depend on relationships or contexts.
Subjectivity emphasizes the internal and personal aspect of perception and understanding, highlighting the uniqueness of individual experiences. In contrast, relativity speaks to the interconnectedness of concepts and entities, pointing out that attributes or judgments are contingent upon external comparisons. For instance, the quality of being tall is relative to the average height of a population, whereas finding someone attractive is a subjective assessment.
While subjective perspectives are often seen in discussions about art, literature, and personal preference, highlighting the diversity of human experience and the richness of personal insight, relativity is a key principle in both everyday comparisons ("That car is fast compared to mine") and scientific contexts (as in Einstein's theory of relativity, where time and space are understood in relation to speed and mass).
The distinction also lies in the realm of debate and discussion. Subjective arguments are challenging to universalize since they stem from personal viewpoints. In contrast, relative comparisons provide a common ground for discussion, even if the benchmarks or standards used for comparison can vary widely.
Understanding the difference between subjective and relative enriches our discussions and analyses, allowing for a more nuanced appreciation of personal perspectives and the contextual nature of understanding and evaluation.
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Comparison Chart
Basis
Personal feelings, tastes, opinions
Comparison to something else
Focus
Internal perceptions and experiences
External relationships and contexts
Nature
Inherent to the individual
Dependent on external factors
Application
Art, literature, personal preference
Scientific contexts, everyday comparisons
Argumentation
Challenging to universalize due to personal bias
Provides a common ground but depends on the points of comparison
Compare with Definitions
Subjective
Dependent on the individual's perception.
The concept of beauty is largely subjective.
Relative
Based on external factors.
The value of a currency is relative to others in the market.
Subjective
Based on individual opinions.
Whether a movie is good can be quite subjective.
Relative
Pertaining to the context.
The term rich is relative, depending on the country.
Subjective
Pertaining to personal perspectives.
Pain is a subjective experience.
Relative
Dependent on comparison.
Success is often relative to one's own goals.
Subjective
Reflecting personal biases.
Each reviewer gave a subjective account of the book.
Relative
Not absolute, but comparative.
Warmth in winter is relative to what one is accustomed to.
Subjective
Influenced by personal feelings.
Art appreciation is highly subjective.
Relative
Seen in relation to something else.
The speed of light is fast, but it's relative in the universe.
Subjective
Dependent on or taking place in a person's mind rather than the external world
"The sensation of pain is a highly subjective experience that varies by culture as well as by individual temperament and situation" (John Hoberman).
Relative
Considered in relation or in proportion to something else
The relative effectiveness of the various mechanisms is not known
Subjective
Based on a given person's experience, understanding, and feelings; personal or individual
Admitted he was making a highly subjective judgment.
Relative
Denoting a pronoun, determiner, or adverb that refers to an expressed or implied antecedent and attaches a subordinate clause to it, e.g. which, who.
Subjective
(Psychology) Not caused by external stimuli.
Relative
(of major and minor keys) having the same key signature.
Subjective
(Medicine) Of, relating to, or designating a symptom or complaint perceived by a patient.
Relative
(of a service rank) corresponding in grade to another in a different service.
Subjective
Expressing or bringing into prominence the individuality of the artist or author.
Relative
A relative pronoun, determiner, or adverb.
Subjective
(Grammar) Relating to or being the nominative case.
Relative
A term or concept which is dependent on something else.
Subjective
Relating to the real nature of something; essential.
Relative
Considered in comparison or relation to something else
An animal with a large brain relative to body size.
The relative quiet of the suburbs.
Subjective
Formed, as in opinions, based upon a person's feelings or intuition, not upon observation or reasoning; coming more from within the observer than from observations of the external environment.
Relative
Having pertinence or relevance; connected or related
How are those remarks relative to the discussion?.
Subjective
Pertaining to subjects as opposed to objects (A subject is one who perceives or is aware; an object is the thing perceived or the thing that the subject is aware of.)
Relative
(Grammar) Referring to or qualifying an antecedent, as the pronoun who in the man who was on TV or that in the dictionary that I use.
Subjective
Resulting from or pertaining to personal mindsets or experience, arising from perceptive mental conditions within the brain and not necessarily or directly from external stimuli.
Relative
(Music) Having the same key signature. Used of major and minor scales and keys
A minor is the relative minor of C major.
Subjective
Lacking in reality or substance.
Relative
A person related to another by heredity, adoption, or marriage.
Subjective
As used by Carl Jung, the innate worldview orientation of the introverted personality types.
Relative
A species or other taxon that shares a common ancestor, usually a relatively recent ancestor, with another
The jaguar is a relative of the lion.
Subjective
Experienced by a person mentally and not directly verifiable by others.
Relative
(Grammar) A relative pronoun.
Subjective
Describing conjugation of a verb that indicates only the subject (agent), not indicating the object (patient) of the action. In linguistic descriptions of Tundra Nenets, among others.
Relative
Connected to or depending on something else; comparative.
Subjective
Of or pertaining to a subject.
Relative
Expressed in relation to another item, rather than in complete form.
Subjective
Especially, pertaining to, or derived from, one's own consciousness, in distinction from external observation; ralating to the mind, or intellectual world, in distinction from the outward or material excessively occupied with, or brooding over, one's own internal states.
Relative
(grammar) Depending on an antecedent; comparative.
The words “big” and “small” are relative.
Subjective
Modified by, or making prominent, the individuality of a writer or an artist; as, a subjective drama or painting; a subjective writer.
Relative
(music) Having the same key but differing in being major or minor.
Subjective
Taking place within the mind and modified by individual bias;
A subjective judgment
Relative
Relevant; pertinent; related.
Relative to your earlier point about taxes, ...
Subjective
Of a mental act performed entirely within the mind;
A cognition is an immanent act of mind
Relative
Capable to be changed by other beings or circumstance; conditional.
Relative
(linguistics) A type of adjective that inflects like a relative clause, rather than a true adjective, in certain Bantu languages.
Relative
Having relation or reference; referring; respecting; standing in connection; pertaining; as, arguments not relative to the subject.
I'll have groundsMore relative than this.
Relative
Arising from relation; resulting from connection with, or reference to, something else; not absolute.
Every thing sustains both an absolute and a relative capacity: an absolute, as it is such a thing, endued with such a nature; and a relative, as it is a part of the universe, and so stands in such a relations to the whole.
Relative
Indicating or expressing relation; refering to an antecedent; as, a relative pronoun.
Relative
Characterizing or pertaining to chords and keys, which, by reason of the identify of some of their tones, admit of a natural transition from one to the other.
Relative
One who, or that which, relates to, or is considered in its relation to, something else; a relative object or term; one of two object or term; one of two objects directly connected by any relation.
Relative
An animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus)
Relative
Not absolute or complete;
A relative stranger
Relative
Properly related in size or degree or other measurable characteristics; usually followed by `to';
Punishment oughtt to be proportional to the crime
Earnings relative to production
Common Curiosities
Is happiness subjective or relative?
Happiness is primarily subjective, as it is based on individual feelings and perceptions, but it can also be considered relative to circumstances, expectations, and comparisons to others.
Can something be both subjective and relative?
Yes, many experiences and assessments can be both subjective (influenced by personal bias) and relative (compared to other experiences or standards).
How can understanding of subjective and relative improve communication?
Recognizing the subjective nature of personal opinions and the relative nature of comparisons can foster more open, respectful, and nuanced discussions.
Can scientific facts be subjective or relative?
Scientific facts aim to be objective, but the interpretation and importance of these facts can be relative to different contexts and subjective to different perspectives.
Are ethics subjective or relative?
Ethics can be subjective, based on personal moral principles, and relative, as ethical norms can vary across cultures and societies.
How do subjective and relative perspectives influence decision-making?
Subjective perspectives influence decisions based on personal values and feelings, while relative perspectives consider decisions in the context of other options or standards.
Can beauty be considered subjective or relative?
Beauty is often considered subjective due to personal tastes, but it can also be seen as relative in different cultural or societal contexts.
How do subjective and relative views impact art appreciation?
Art appreciation is highly subjective, based on personal taste, but can also be relative, as the value or significance of art can depend on cultural or historical contexts.
Can the concept of risk be subjective or relative?
Risk assessment can be subjective, influenced by personal fears and experiences, and relative, as risks are often compared to other potential outcomes or situations.
Is morality subjective or relative?
Morality can be seen as both subjective (varying with personal beliefs) and relative (defined in relation to cultural or societal norms).
How does the subjective nature of experience affect psychological research?
The subjective nature of experience presents challenges for psychological research, which strives to understand and quantify human experiences in a scientifically valid manner.
Can cultural values be subjective or relative?
Cultural values are relative to the society in which they exist, but individual adherence to and interpretation of these values can be subjective.
Is the concept of wealth subjective or relative?
Wealth can be considered relative, as it is often measured in comparison to others, but perceptions of what constitutes wealth can also be subjective.
Is taste in music subjective or relative?
Taste in music is subjective, as it is based on personal preference, but it can also be relative to cultural influences and trends.
How do subjective and relative measures differ in research?
In research, subjective measures rely on personal reports and perceptions, while relative measures involve comparisons to a standard or across groups.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
