Take useful info from any opinion but be selective in which people you trust for good judgement.
It is not hard to have an opinion.
It is easy to spread fear though by making predictions, usually gloomy ones. Be mindful if you’re agreeing because of your bias or if the opinion couldn’t withstand more than elementary scrutiny.
If you’re going to base a life decision on someone’s viewpoint, always get a second opinion.
Do you agree with everyone? Has anyone ever rejected your opinion? Do you tend to reply to opposing comments? Challenging opinions can be helpful under certain circumstances. Most other times it just leads to frayed nerves, frustration and difficult circumstances.
If I am looking for constructive feedback, receiving a different perspective to my own can be helpful. However, if I am stating my opinion as a matter of belief, a challenge can be taken as a direct affront to my belief system.
If you add in some hot button, extremist words, like many of the ists, you add personal insult and casual hyperbole to the situation. A fair few people will take those personal attacks quite, well, personally. Some people will continue the engagement and reply in a variety of ways. Although, they can easily fall into an inappropriate response mode as well.
So when and where do you challenge people’s opinions? Possibly in the appropriate forum with people who are up to having that discussion. You wouldn’t walk up to people playing football in the park and explain how they are doing it wrong. So why do we feel the need to engage with others who are conversing?
So do we simply let people have their opinion and walk away? Or do we need to set them straight by how we see the world? And how they should too. Lots of questions. What are your thoughts?
I’m open to challenging opinions.
