It is on the regular that people are criticizing, slamming, and clapping back at one another for having and sharing opinions. Social media for example has given people a loudspeaker to be able to share their opinions across a wider audience than before. Other than the understanding that there will always be annoying or ignorant people, what’s wrong with someone choosing to put their opinion out there for anyone to hear/read? There isn’t a mandatory rule or requisite that you need to agree, or even read it for that matter.
For argument’s sake, let’s start out with the baseline that every single one of us is entitled to our own experiences — this includes feelings, thoughts, opinions, breakdowns, revelations, and whatever else we may or may not choose to experience. Based on this understanding, couldn’t it be accepted that there are always reasons for why and how someone thinks the way they do? Instead, we get hung up on it being different from our opinion/thought or that of the majority. And not only hung up in our own minds but insist others be hung up with us so that our opinions or stance can feel strengthened or even ‘right’.
Perhaps we aren’t confident in our own thoughts that we have to dismiss someone else for theirs. I know that I too can spend unnecessary amounts of time and energy on trying to understand the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’. Quite frankly, there are too many possible algorithms to sort out in order to come to a clear and definitive answer much of the time.
The scariest part of what I’m seeing is the apologizing for an opinion by public figures. It sets quite the dangerous standard and tone for anyone looking to these figures to set an example, which happens more often than I’m comfortable with. I’m saddened that it’s considered refreshing when someone is confident in how they arrived at an opinion rather than being swayed by another for their opinion on what they consider to be ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.
We are entitled to our own feelings. We are also solely responsible for those feelings whether they’re expressed thoughtfully or not. Is an apology for having an opinion really necessary or even meaningful if it’s the result of a threat or pressure of being banned or cast out?
To keep this in perspective all of the time remains to be an ongoing challenge for me — particularly with my husband. I fail on nearly a daily basis being able to accept some of his opinions without becoming emotionally triggered or needing to firm up my own stance. Each time I raise my voice or feel justified in whatever adjectives I call him, it’s immediately followed up by a self-directed session of the same lack of compassion and understanding. I am careful to apologize to him for my reaction or delivery and not necessarily for my opinion(s).
As challenging as it may feel in the moment, there remains an openness to learning for both of us. Another beautiful part of having an opinion is that it, like the rest of everything that flows in life, can (and often does) change. I wish we can extend this compassion to ourselves and in turn, to others.
Being new to Medium, I am learning to grow into the vulnerability of putting my thoughts out there and diving into the challenge of understanding that each of us has a unique perspective. Though my words are personal to me, the words of another don’t have to be — just my opinion!
