As I read through Facebook these days, I am almost shocked at how many people will rant about topics that they most likely know nothing about. Lets be honest, we have all done it. I even used to do it. But I finally realized something a few weeks ago after getting into a debate on Facebook, and it applies to almost every political and non-political opinion people have: none of us know what it has been like to grow up and live in each others shoes, so to speak as if we do know is just wrong.

It is a bit of an odd realization, but it has helped me to come to terms with many things, such as the election. I personally do not like Donald Trump, but I have no idea what it is like to be one of his supporters. I have never grown up in their shoes, I do not know what it is like to live in their circumstances, and I do not know what they feel drawn to in Trump. This is the reason why, lately, I have kept my opinions to myself. All that I know is how I have grown up, how I have lived, how I have come to hold my beliefs and opinions. Thus, where do I get off spewing my opinion on topics that, to be honest, I may have no knowledge about, no experience with, and therefore, no reason to give my opinion on such things.

Of course, the beauty of the system in our country is the fact that we can give our opinion on any and every topic we choose. But before you do, I urge that you do this: ask yourself, do I actually understand the issue that I am talking about? Do I really have any place making statements about issues that I have no knowledge about, and acting like my opinion is the end-all be-all?

On a similar topic, next time somebody takes an action, states an opinion, or just in general does something you disagree with, simply engage that person in a conversation. Rather than simply bash them and their opinions and actions, it is far more productive to ask somebody how they have come to have such and opinion and why they have it. We need to simply learn to engage people in conversations and try to understand why they feel the way they do. In the mean time, I will not be putting all of my opinions all over social media because I do not understand why people have the opinions that they do, especially in terms of the election, and as such I have no reason to disparage them for their beliefs. Just a few thoughts. It really helps to come to terms with the election.