Sharing Opinions

There is so much which influences us these days. It can be overwhelming to know what to believe, pay attention to and embrace or even try. We encounter things, have experiences, engage in relationships that shape and influence our perspective, and these can differ dramatically from one person to another. Two people can witness or even participate in a conversation and walk away with two very different perspectives of what was said or how it went. We all have filters that are biased to what we already believe. My filters are different than your filters because my life experiences and what my mind will highlight as well as my feelings, are unique to me and yours to you. So who’s to say who’s interpretation of any discussion, event or experience is more “right” than another?

It is impossible to be a completely neutral party as we all bring our past with us into the present moment. And that is ok!  If we don’t have to be right or convince others or our “rightness” then it is often less of a problem that we don’t see things the same. Anymore however, with social media, news media and the speed of the internet around the entire world, it can be harder to remain neutral in our opinions of these happenings, even in other parts of the world we have little personal experience with. Remember that things have been happening all around the world for thousands of years that mostly just local people or communities were even aware of. Now we are able to access a wider view and it feels like it is expected of us to hold opinions about things happening even far away. Our actions, words, beliefs and assumptions do affect one another, even from afar, and is not limited to the internet (think pollution that travels across the globe). While I believe we are all part of a connected web of life, that doesn’t translate into needing to take a stand, have an opinion and especially not a need to share it, particularly an uneducated or uninformed opinion. There is so much to know about any one thing, it should be hard to believe we feel as confident in our views as we do. The ego mind is always on the lookout for dangers in order to keep us safe, so it fills in a lot of the blanks itself without us even realizing it. And the pressure exists to speak out, take a stand, post and blog about it all.

How might we look at life and our world so that we can live as connected beings without needing to have an opinion about everything? How might we stay aware of things but not get caught up in the drama of it? How might we assume the best, have compassion and understanding, remembering that stressed brains make less good choices, hurt people hurt people, and that everyone is doing the best they can in the moment (even if it is not particularly good)? Not to be a doormat nor turn a blind eye to harmful actives but in order to practice refrain from writing stories, sharing or even holding strong opinions and acting on those stories or opinions as if they are based on unbiased information or facts. 

One place to start is simply noticing when we are making an assumption or sharing an opinion about something or someone. Even better is pausing before sharing any opinion or thought or even withholding “fact sharing” realizing that it’s possible we don’t have all the relevant facts. Sharing opinions is not the same as sharing facts. It can be hard to know the difference, so ask yourself how critical the information you are about to share is and perhaps don’t share it. The power of our words, of suggestion is a real thing. Are we simply spreading dislike, fear, judgment with our opinions and unkind “facts”?
Try this for a day or week. Don’t share an opinion about much of anything with others. Not even about the weather. Be a neutral and open observer rather than placing limitations upon it. You might also notice how often others share opinions with you, even about the weather. At the conclusion of the day or week, take time to note how that was for you. How do you think it was for others? Be honest and perhaps journal about the experience or share with a close friend. Is there a kind of addiction to forming opinions about things and people? Is it a way to make sense of the world, make small talk, fit in or perhaps a way to make yourself feel better if others have flaws you can point out, even just in your own mind? What might it feel like to assume the best in an uncomfortable encounter? Consider this an opportunity to practice valuable self reflection. 
What would the world look like if we all shared our opinion even 50 percent less than usual?  I’d love to hear what you discovered!