Why do we have opinions? Do opinions stifle our creativity?
An opinion can be paralyzing in a gratifying way. It is fulfilling, for once we are finally heard. They are emotional, a part of us are attached to our opinions and are derived from our voice. Opinions are strong, but do they matter? Are they our’s to claim or are they being given to us and then recycled for others to use? What can an opinion change?
The United States is withdrawing from its 20 year occupancy in Afghanistan, and per news the Taliban is beginning to preside as the country’s main authority. Public opinion waivers, withdrawing is the right action or withdrawing is the wrong action. These opinions are derived from the news, which is the original source of this information, a source that details degrees of reality through a chosen lens. These degrees are passed from source to adults who then converse or fight among each other, using specific talking points that are mentioned in the news to favor their viewer. Do we rely on news agencies to complement our ego’s as much as we rely on them to provide us with local and global happenings? CNN describes the withdraw of the United States as chaotic and quotes a CBS survey to support it’s claim that “Most Americans favor Afghanistan Withdrawal”. The survey by CBS itself can be seen as biased, how many of those reading the CNN article have taken the survey? Fox News presents the situation as an inspiration for terrorists to target the US and Israel (source). Through both articles we are given facts, but they are wrapped in these sources opinion’s.
The opposite of an opinion is a fact, which is the conduit of information that is true, or at least assumed true. An opinion is a conduit that hosts an implicit bias based upon an aspect of reality. What happens when the two are mixed? If one is reporting their opinion with the help of a fact then are actually reporting a fact? You could argue that a fact is not the happenings of reality, but something that is memorized after being heard or read. Facts reside in textbooks, not in the news.
Do the opinions of the public help shape reality or do they provide a perception of reality? If one is a dentist, but has an opinion on foreign policy, how may this affect the United States or even the world? That dentist may choose to distance themselves away from a certain group of people, only buy certain products, shop at certain places, or choose to send their kid to a certain school and college, but ultimately, what power does public opinion have over foreign and domestic policy? Voting is a powerful tool, but the effect can be minimal. The ultimate answer would to be to get involved into the system that one hopes to change. An opinion can be a parasitic device that has the power to paralyze another and perhaps even hurt their view of themselves or the world. As a public, is there power in sharing our opinions? What should we reserve our opinions for? When are they most important to share? And why do we feel like they matter?