I am always grateful to my readers who offer me inspiration as I work my way through this A to Z blogging challenge. My friend Jerry suggested I blog about opinions because everyone has one. His reason reminded me of what my wife Zoe says about opinions, which is actually a line from the 1988 movie The Dead Pool. “Opinions are like assholes. Everybody’s got one and everyone thinks everyone else’s stinks.”
The dictionary defines opinion as “a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty” and “a personal view, attitude, or appraisal." [1] Opinions are not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. They are simply what one personally believes. Some people change their opinion on something over time. However, sometimes opinions become so ingrained in our psyche that they are no longer an opinion, but a belief. If enough people hold the same opinion, it can evolve into a belief system.
In our conversations with others, and even with ourselves, we are expressing our opinion about the Infinite, about others, and about ourselves. Even what I am writing here is just my opinion. It does not mean anyone else has to agree with it or that anyone has to believe it. There may even be those who think my opinion on opinions stinks, and that is ok because that is there opinion. My opinion is mine, is based on what I believe to be true at any point in time in my life, and is about me and my journey. Another person’s opinion is about them and where they are in their journey. It has nothing to do with me unless I allow I allow it to or believe it to be true. It just is what it is, two opinions. For example, in my personal journal the other day I wrote about my beginning my journey into a life of being complaint free and what that meant for me. One of my readers had another opinion and said “sometimes complaining is necessary.” Her opinion is right for her and my opinion is right for me. It just is what it is.
I happen to agree with my friend Jerry’s opinion that every one has an opinion. What I have come to realize recently is that sometimes I offer my opinion when it is not being asked for and this was an example of me not being impeccable with my word. How many times do we offer our opinion when it is not asked for? What is the intent behind doing so? Sometimes it seems as if what people really need is for us to be present with our love. Sometimes our silent presence is exactly what they need. Sometimes we can ruin a powerful moment by our need to open our mouths and express our opinion. At least that is my opinion, for now, and I am sticking to it.
[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/opinion