Educate your Opinions

Because that’s just like, your opinion, man.

“The governor of Texas, who, when asked if the Bible should also be taught in Spanish, replied that ‘if English was good enough for Jesus, then it’s good enough for me’.”
― Christopher Hitchens

You are free to believe whatever you choose to believe. If you’re not, then you’re in the wrong country. In most of the western world you’re also allowed to think, so why do so few of us take advantage of that?

Because thinking is so very dangerous. It means that you might have to face up to ideas you disagree with, and see that the evidence lies on the dark side. You may have spent most of your life researching an area that turns out to be absolutely wrong. You might be comfortable with your life as it stands. How do you cope with that?

I’ve had debates and discussions with friends that have become heated, that have caused me or them offense.

‘If someone tells me I’ve hurt their feelings, I say, “I’m still waiting to hear what your point is.”’

I’ve had to change my mind on so many issues I was steady on. Why? Because the facts and the evidence were not in my favor. To learn the hard way that if my opinions are not educated, they do not weigh up in reality.

I’m not saying you need to be right about everything. Nobody can be right about everything. But if you feel strongly about something, challenge it. You’ll either find that you’re correct and have a hearty supply of information to back it up or that you’re wrong and now you can move on as a progressive thinker. The world needs this more than anything.

It might hurt, it might suck to be wrong, but it’s not going to kill you. Be brave.