Separate Opinion and Ego
Inform your opinions
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Who has never defended a position that they knew too little about because it fit into your general idea of a subject?
How about defending something you knew was wrong?
For my family and many of my background, it’s Israel. Though many of my Jewish peers would balk at this statement, I find that many otherwise thoughtful and politically active Jewish-Americans often refuse to apply their regular standards of fact gathering to issues pertaining to the nation of Israel. The same goes for many politically active Americans of all creeds. We have a tendency to, with zeal, jump to defend a policy position that “our team” has declared to be in favor of without stepping back and asking ourselves what the real facts of the situation are. This isn’t me saying these people are wrong for defending the country that they love or the political ideals that define who they are. It’s me saying that we have an obligation to ourselves and to our peers to actively learn before we open our mouths or stake our ego on something we may not be completely informed about.
We often forget to evaluate our information critically when forming opinions whenever said opinion is wrapped in with our identity and sense of self. We see it all of the time in partisan American politics: people sticking to their guns even in the face of facts that should force a reevaluation of an opinion. Hell, I’m guilty of it. My family can and would attest to that. It is truly difficult to admit to being misinformed, ignorant, or plain wrong. You feel like you’ve been punched in the gut and that hit to your ego (for lack of a better word) is tough to bear.
My plea here isn’t about any specific political issue. It’s not about Israel. It’s not about the United States. I’m hoping that we can move forward into this new year by maintaining our intellectual standards wherever we go. If we think rationally when developing every opinion we make (without letting ego, identity, or strong belief get in the way), we pave the way for a more thoughtful and less adversarial discourse.
This isn’t to demean or diminish passion or enthusiasm for an idea. Please, continue to be passionate. Without passion and zeal we lose the conviction to fight for any position. However, there is a middle ground where passion mixed with fact, self-education, and a little bit of self-reflection (asking “why do I hold this opinion?”) can lead to a lot more proactive and thoughtful discussion. It’s either that or we continue to dig the trenches that many of us currently find ourselves in.
It’s ok to say you don’t know enough about that issue. It’s ok to say that you aren’t sure what your opinion is. Take that with you and move forward. Use that moment of uncertainty as a catalyst for your education.
