Oh well, it is what it is. Today's topic is having an opinion.
Everyone has an opinion on pretty much everything.
Politics, war, movies, that fat bloke across the street.
I have an opinion on having opinions!
If you ask certain people to make any kind of statement, unless they are paid critics, they will tell you that they like or don't like something for any vague (at best!) or most of the times for no particular reason. Just cause.
Take a look at this dialogue below, it really happened.
Q: Why do you dislike this particular politician?
A: He's a liar; they are all liars.
Imagine my disappointment. I ask you: Is this answer something that really qualifies as an opinion? In my world, an opinion is something you have actually thought about, not spit out as an emotional reflex or is not, as seen in this case, prejudice on top of prejudice. Distrust, vomited.
A snappy response to the statement above would have been:
So is your husband, but you still like him though?
Of course, as always, I thought about this many hours too late...
But to get back on track, an opinion should be more than a mere impulse. I have nothing against finding arguments to underline an immediate response, but there needs to be some kind of reason for it. People wouldn't ask for anybody's opinion if they weren't interested in the reason behind it.
I know, this "high standard" entails spending some extra time in educating oneself, finding facts to back up one's view, finding arguments for or against something and eventually verbalizing it. This can be exhausting, and unfortunately, not everyone has the time or sees the need to do that.
But as a consequence, you people too busy to spend your time on improving your half-baked preferences, feel free to remain ignorant, but would you mind and shut up, step aside and let the people who have done their homework answer? Or just be honest and say something like:
I never have thought about it. I feel I like/dislike it but I don't have enough facts to make a statement.
It sounds so much more competent than
And while you're at it, start identifying your own judgemental processes. It is time well spent. Not for anyone else but yourself. You'll learn so much.
Simple rule: If you know one thing, i know two things, my conclusion is worth a little more. That doesn't mean that my conclusion is right, or yours is false, but it's more likely to be so.
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