I am a professional opinion master. I have been giving opinions nearly all my life and have become quite adept at doing so. Notice that I have been giving those opinions as opposed to selling them. Most of my work to this point has been voluntary and occasionally unrequested. Never the less, I have been more than willing to share my vast data base of opinions on any given subject, at any given time.
My opinion is no more important than the opinion of any other person. It is uniquely mine. And, no matter how flawed or fantastic, I am still permitted to draw my own conclusions and form my own assessments leading ultimately to that opinion.
At times, those opinions are reached with little or no actual fact to form a conclusion and, in that case, given enough time and information, those conclusions can usually be swayed in light of new details.
An example of this is the Michael Brown shooting in recent years. A young black man was shot by a white policeman. Due to a great deal of misinformation, the nation was told to believe that a white police officer shot an innocent black youth in cold blood. When the facts were in, the innocent 6’4”, 290 pound, 18 year old “youth,” under the influence of drugs no less, had just assaulted a shop keeper and robbed him, and was belligerent and hostile to the officer when confronted.
At first, we were told by the media that Brown was shot in the back. This from supposed eye witness accounts interviewed on the scene by instant television reports (people with phones recording the incident to post on social media) on the scene. When the news spread, new movements were born or expanded. “Hands up, don’t shoot,” and Black Lives Matter became very popular catch phrases and the whole “All cops are bad and are racist,” really took off with social media and the press. Riots and unrest ensued. All due to not enough and misinformation ruling the opinions of most of the country.
When the truth finally came out about the suspect (Brown) and his record, along with his size and the real facts of the case, many opinions changed about the situation. Some used the situation as a catalyst to promote hate and violence towards police and authority in general. Others saw it for what it was – an unfortunate incident that should never have happened. Brown was a victim of his own making (personal values, peer pressure, etc.) and the officer was doing his job, reacting in the moment. Some chose to accept the facts and others chose to riot. I do realize that there is a history of racial bias and I do not discount that. In this discussion I am only concerned with the opinions of the observer, not necessarily the immediate participants.
Opinions can be swayed, if a person is willing to take the time to learn the facts.
Every day we are assaulted with information by the news media, social media, other people, and our own thoughts. We are forming opinions sometimes on a minute by minute basis. That’s too hot, that light is bright, his idea is dumb, that’s a pretty flower. Every opinion we have is based in a preference. Whether it is the senses or our sensibilities we are placing in check, it all comes down to likes and dislikes. I like grapes. I’m not especially fond of cumquats or dictatorships. That is my opinion.
Every opinion we form is our own. We can give it away or keep it for ourselves. If I hold an opinion, for me, that opinion is the only one that is viable. If I say that 72 degrees is the perfect temperature to set the thermostat and I am comfortable at that temperature, then you telling me that 68 would save on utilities is information that will not fit into my equation, since my equation is based on comfort and not on savings. Your opinion is valid for its premise and mine is valid for my own. It is comparing apples to oranges, so to speak. Yes, I could put on a sweatshirt and save money under a blanket, or you could take off your parka and be comfortable, but it is doubtful we will ever agree because we are discussing two different desires using the same thermostat. It is all a matter of perspective.
Opinion is based on perspective. Perspective is based on experience. Experience is shaped by expectation. If you are planning a nice, quiet dinner out and the restaurant turns out to be a noisy, succession of mishap and unattendance, your opinion would probably not be the same as a person who went to the same restaurant on a night when it was quiet and delightful. You may give a poor Yelp review or turn in a less than satisfactory comment card, while the other person might give it a five-star rating.
So, why does one opinion matter more than another? Technically speaking, it doesn’t. Opinions of a candidate or a judge can become law, so they might be worth considering when forming our own opinions of them come election day, but generally speaking, no one person’s opinion is worth more than yours. There is not a celebrity, entertainer or sports figure, who is more qualified to give an opinion worth noting than you are. The public does not receive more enlightened information when an actor or basketball player tells them their opinion about politics or any other subject. Most people are not hanging on the edge of their seats just wondering what Miley Cyrus thinks of the global economy or what Colin Kaepernick might consider the most important talking points about global thermo-nuclear war. Whether you are swinging naked on a wrecking ball or kneeling during the national anthem, your opinion is no more important than the janitor or the CEO down the block. Again, only using easily recognizable names to make a point, not to take any side on any social issue.
It seems that the self-important people get to make statements and spout opinions to be revered and awed, while the common people have to resort to pollsters to make their opinions heard. Of course, the polls are conducted and tallied according to the opinion of the pollsters. It is not difficult to make the poll seem to skew toward the opinion of the analyst, and the subsequent viewer of that information takes it and skews it to his understanding. So, the question of, “Would you let a child die?” could open itself to all sorts of interpretations depending upon the circumstances of the situation and the experiences of the analyst and viewer. One would be inclined to say ‘no’ to this, but without all of the facts, a valid and compelling opinion cannot be rendered.
So. Does your opinion matter? Sure, it does. To you. To your friends (maybe). Express it all you want. It’s yours and you are free to share it with anyone you please and some you don’t please. But don’t expect me to jump into the rabbit hole with you unless you can give me cold, hard facts. Don’t give me passed-on opinions. Unless you are actually studied or accomplished in a particular field, your opinion is just yours. Your expectations and experiences and desires and idiosyncrasies and just plain deep dark thoughts. If you can not give tangible evidence to back your opinion (except personal preferences of the senses or love because those are totally subjective, but that’s just my opinion), then don’t expect that your opinion will be earth shattering and millions will be clamoring for a written, signed copy of your discourse. Don’t take my word for it. We only have to look at history to see what opinions can do to shape the world.
The least likely place for opinions, some might say, would be the Bible.
Up until we hit Job in the Bible, everything is pretty much an historical account. The story of Job is placed chronologically about the same time that Israel (Jacob) headed out to join Joseph in Egypt. This is definitely a fine example of opinions. All three of Job’s friends and even his wife air their opinions, but Job cannot be swayed. In the end, all turns out well for the steadfast Job. No matter how rough it got, he stuck to his opinion. And, incidentally, his opinion was the only one that mattered.
On the other hand, entire civilizations have been born from some individual’s opinions. Undoubtedly, chiseled in Sumerian cuneiform, or doodled in some hidden hieroglyphs there is an op-ed by some scribe which remains to be found. Later, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle wrote a few things and thought about things a little deeper than most. At that point (circa 400 BC to 300 BC) the general population was just trying to survive and most were thinking of their next sale, crop, or meal. But think and write these pontificators did and we have been heeding their opinions ever since. A vast majority of the civilized world was based on a few thinkers whether it was Socrates, the Buddha, or Confucius.
Since that time opinions have started wars and created countries. As soon as someone said, “What do you think?” there was a chance that a new conflict would morph into a major world war. Several religions have been formed from the opinions of one man or another. Even the most ancient of religions dating back into prehistory would have its beginning in one man’s idea or perception of what a higher power is. Whether it is the sun, the elements, animals, or a combination thereof, someone had to think it up and convince others that this is where all life comes from.
As time progressed the gods became more humanistic until we hit on Rome and the Judeo-Christian monotheistic beliefs. Today, anything or anyone can become a god and have the reverential treatment of the masses. Everything from peanut butter to people are marketed to us on a never-ending basis with each brand or group better than the last.
There are numerous brands of virtually every product imaginable and a multitude of groups to identify with. You can eat Jif peanut butter in a crowd of zombie apocalypse reenactors , or you can wear Nike tennis shoes at a “Save the Aardvark” rally. How ever you wish to express your opinion is nearly wide open in today’s society. If you are serious enough, convincing enough, and have a viable platform, the concepts of your opinion can become the public norm or even become law.
Just look how far some of the once demonized sociological concepts have progressed in recent years. In one generation, American society has gone from seeking out the socialist / communist threat, to embracing those very ideals.
At least that is what the media would have you believe.
Anyone who goes against this narrative is labeled as a racist, a homophobe, a xenophobe, a white nationalist, and/ or a white supremist. No other opinions matter. It is ‘Us Against Them’ to these proponents of utopia. There is no working together to find common ground with the archaic vanguards of the old republic. They will stamp their foot and huff and puff until they exhaust everyone with their antics, including their allies. Then they will triumphantly agree to compromise to what was offered much earlier. These enlightened souls know that if they continue to chip away at the moral fiber and the core values of society, change can be affected. Some prefer a slow deterioration and the more progressive prefer a full-on revolution. However you view it, it is still modeled after a utopian ideal which has been attempted the world over and still only survives in regimented, totalitarian states.
Should the races and genders all be treated equally? Absolutely.
Throughout history has race and gender equality been the norm? Absolutely not.
Could anyone change, through legislation or societal pressure, behavior ingrained in humankind since the beginning of recorded history? Possibly.
Will the earth fall by the wayside due to climate change? Possibly
Was there ever a period when the climate was different than it is now worldwide? Yes
Could that happen again whether we are here or not? Possibly.
Could legislation or societal pressure change the earth’s cycles? Slightly, if at all.
Could anyone, through legislation or persuasion, change the attitude and beliefs of existing generations and generations to come? Most probably.
Would everyone, in present or future generations, always hold to the attitudes and beliefs affected on society through legislation or persuasion? Absolutely not.
The question is: What do you think? You are allowed to do that. Take in information about a subject. Make a decision about a preference. Formulate an awareness. It is really quite simple. Soon you will be commenting and judging things for yourself based solely on the facts as you see them and proclaiming the veracity of your conclusions with unwavering delight.
Just remember this simple set of facts –
Everyone has the capability to sit where and with whom they choose.
Anyone can share their seat with someone else if they wish.
There is a difference between sharing your seat politely and showing your seat rudely.
Not everyone wants to see it when you show your seat rudely.
Many may be willing to share your seat, sit beside you, and learn from you if you are willing to share their seat and sit beside them from time to time.
But that’s just my opinion.
