Do you ever wonder where opinions come from? And why so many of us see things in different ways? The answer lies in understanding how people’s thoughts and opinions are derived. Your opinions come from four primary sources:
- Instinct
- Personal experience
- What you’ve learned (or been taught)
- What you’ve figured out for yourself
You feel (or think) the way you do because of what your tummy tells you, what you’ve seen, what you’ve learned (through reading, listening, or watching things on TV), and what you’ve sat down to figure out.
The strength of your opinion should always correlate to its quality. If you feel strongly about something, I hope you’ve either seen a lot in this area or have researched it completely. But often times we haven’t. Most of us have no idea about the effort that goes into holding a qualified position. Add to this the need many feel to attain intellectual status and you see why we’re constantly being subjected to air bags spewing nonsense.
Let’s dive deeper into the four components. There are some interesting points to make.
Instinct and experience
All tummies don’t work the same way. Just because your instincts make you see things one way doesn’t mean others agree. The value of everyone’s instinct is equal—no one’s is any more valid. For example, do you instinctively feel this person is trustworthy or qualified? I’m not saying logically feel (where you present an argument). I mean, using only your natural instincts, what’s your tummy telling you?
The same goes for personal experience—we haven’t all seen the same things.
What you’ve learned
If you wish to hold a strong position, you must evaluate whether you know enough about the topic. If you want a big opinion on something like politics, you’ll need to do some reading. And not just from one book about one side. You’ll need a wealth of information from all kinds of sources, including high quality lectures from experts (not just left or right-wing newspapers).
There is no substitute for quality knowledge, especially on topics that have been well documented. Ask around for good material and get yourself started. (P.S. It’s always good to look into a subject’s history.)
What you’ve figure out
There is no stronger opinion than one you’ve figured out. Instead of always following the teachings of others, consider the thoughts of many and incorporate them into your own. Try putting things together your own way, instead of always repeating somebody else’s words (that you probably don’t fully understand).
Burn a few brain cells until smoke begins to appear. It’s good to focus and concentrate. Then keep thinking until you experience a little epiphany—a sensation that’s truly remarkable.
Summary
Our society spends too much time arguing and not enough time learning and understanding. It’s like we’re more interested in shoving our views down somebody’s throat than using that somebody to make our opinions better.
How do they instinctively feel? What have they seen? Where is their knowledge coming from? All great questions to pose an adversary. Their responses become fodder for your thoughts. And if they grant you the same courtesy, you’ll be engaging in an intellectual discussion instead of an unfriendly fight.