Opinons
Its a funny looking word.
Everyone has opinions, its one of the ways along with excessive
interest in and maintenance of how we look and how what we do looks to
others, the whole mysterious deal of being human beings that our egos
are constantly reinforced. There's no let up.
Unfortunately opinions often, not always, come from a judgemental
base. Certainly there are people who can have and share an opinion in
the nicest most natural and non-provoking way but egos do get in the
way for most people.
Long long ago individual opinions were likely to be the basis for
discussion in community get-togethers in order to decide or mediate on
important issues. Real people in real groups. With the modern advent
of that pretty wonderful tool, the internet, so many aspects of how we
live as a society are now grist for everyone's mill - one's personal
opinions are now being given world wide credence, the group can
include everyone. Anyone can stick their opinion out there and have a
discussion on mostly anything they care about.
But check out the 'pin' in opinion. Opinions can pin us like a
butterfly to a board; rigidity takes the place of flow, dullness that
of brilliance. Opinions can feed our frustrations resulting in online
abuse and anger, enveloping us all in its net.
Maybe just sometimes its not even necessary to put forward a comment.
Maybe putting forward that comment, that opinion, stirs the pot and
helps to create yet another ugly situation, a new drama for people to
get worked up about.
Just maybe, as an alternative, to genuinely come from a place where
the comment can be seen and felt as just a 'point of view'; this
somehow seems more spacious.
What is an opinion anyway? Its just a thought, which may or may not
have validity. Our thoughts need to be checked constantly, they can
lead us into trouble!
Opinions need an I, (in MY opinion,) and the Other, (she has HER
opinion.) Ultimately it divides us, into me and mine, his, and hers,
and theirs, that group's, that government's, that religion and on to
infinity. On the other hand a point of view already has a softness
behind and around it, it assumes that there are others who have this
same point of view.
Until humans are aware enough to get on despite differences of
opinion, lets not always click on 'comment', or at the very least
think really hard before doing so.