Recently, I came across an article that made me sick to my stomach. As I read it, became infuriated with the uneducated and ignorant point of view the author shared. To say that I disagreed with the article would be an understatement. So, without thinking I shared it. I expressed how naïve I believed the writer to be and how I, in no way shape or form, agreed with this person’s opinion. It was her opinion. Since I disagreed with her, I immediately started bashing her with my own opinion.Then, it hit me.
Our opinions really don’t matter.
Think about it. If our opinions mattered then shouldn’t opinions of others matter just as much? Shouldn’t those we disagree with have the right to say and feel how they like without a swarm of people attacking them for it? When it hit me that my opinion really didn’t matter in the case of this article, I realized that everyone has the right to their opinion and, we shouldn’t be so quick to judge someone based solely on the opinion they share.
EVERYONE, and I mean, every single person, is entitled to his or her own opinion. We are entitled to dress the way we want. We are entitled to listen to the kind of music that we want. We are also entitled to have a difference of opinion about the world around us – politics, gender issues, or what to order for dinner. WE ARE ENTITLED TO OUR OWN OPINION. Will there be people who disagree? Of course. You are naïve if you think that others won’t judge you and your thoughts. This is because every one has their own opinion, their own way of thinking. The only way to avoid someone not agreeing with your opinion is not having one at all.
Impossible.
As long as we have the right to be how we want, to think what we want, to choose how we live our lives, then we have the right to have our own opinion. However, on the flip side, that means anyone we disagree with also has the right to his or her own opinion.
So, to the girl whose article I did not agree with, thank you. Thank you for writing something that I did not like. Thank you for not giving into society’s wicked ways of silencing our voices. Thank you for having a different opinion than I would have on the same subject. You made me realize something important, that we all have the right to stand up for what we believe – even if it’s different than someone else. And that I disagree with someone; it doesn’t mean they are wrong.
Our opinions really don’t matter.
But we should still have them anyway.
We must.
