Oh - my - God, Becky. Look at the size of her butt. It is so big. She looks like one of those rap guys'
Be it trifling rumors, petty office gossip, or even heated debates; the opinions of others are all around us. You hear them on the radio, see them on TV, and as is evident by you seeing these words - read them on the Internet. Opinions are shared
at dinner tables with family, disseminated through religious and civic organizations, and given birth by your own fruitful mind. The stuff is everywhere
! I hear they are even like a certain part of the anatomy.
So what about it? Most opinions are garbage anyway, right? Some made-up percentage of statistics are statistically made-up
, too. Why bother? Isn't it easier to just shut it all out and ignore the masses
You could, but that's unproductive and boring!
Every opinion is an opportunity to learn more about the subject, the topic broadly, or the person delivering the message. Sure the numbers could be skewed or the argument hackneyed
. So what? Dive in and find out what other people are thinking
as it may not be what you had first thought. Based on that research, you can revisit the facts or propose other solutions to address them.
You can have the cleanest restaurant in Erie County and hear an opinion that your dishes were spotty or there was a hair in the food. Address it. The window of opportunity to do so was just brought up by these claims. Prove them wrong and come out ahead if that's the case. Or if there is merit, maybe a new dish soap is needed and it actually would improve things.
Politically this can bear much fruit. There is probably someone here in these local forums or a talking head nationally with whom you really, REEEALLY disagree. Every time that person spits out a fact or observation, you can research it and try to prove them wrong. In so doing, even if it is just to put someone down, you may have learned new things that you never would have before if that initial thought wasn't brought up. Learning more about something that you may not even agree with wholeheartedly is still learning. More so if you present your case logically
For those in office it's especially valuable to get your constituents' opinions even if they don't seem informed to you. They are telling you directly what they feel is most important to them
and actually making your job of serving them easier!
It's dispiriting at times. Mind-numbing at others. But, looking at others' opinions will provide you a vast horizon of educational moments, business opportunities, or entertainment as you see just how deep each rabbit hole truly goes. Give it a try. Participate more here in these forums. Pop over to others. Keep the discourse civi
l and you'll be on a wonderful roller coaster of knowledge.