In Your Honest Opinion

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Published on Wednesday, 12 October 2011 08:11

Written by Berndt Hannweg

Image: garethsmit.com“Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the comfort of thought,” said John F. Kennedy, and, as the winner of the biggest popularity contest in the free world, he would know.

Having an opinion is easy. Everyone has one. In fact, everyone has several. Loudly, at length, and sometimes tragically mis-informed.

Justifying an opinion is more difficult. It’s all fine and well saying that Angelina Jolie’s movies are corrupting the spongy moral centres of our youth, but until you develop a logical line of reasoning that shows why that it is, or show actual, sexy scientific proof that the She-Devil really is warping young minds, then what you have isn’t an opinion. It’s a feeling.

The refrain “I have a right to my opinion” needs to be examined – and fast – because it is being used by people who think that it means “I have the right to be loud without putting any effort into actual thought.” The planet has enough noisy, stupid people as it is.

Let me be clear when I say that while I dislike being proved wrong, I’ve come to accept that it is an inevitable situation, particularly if you like to argue as much as I do.

Take it on the chin, admit you’re wrong, and learn to prepare your argument a little better next time.
Learn also to change your point of view. The only constant is change, and nowhere is that more true than in what you believe. Humans are, by their nature, creatures of duality, and believe that extreme positions exist. There are no areas of black and white, only murky greys.

Passion and conviction are good for debating, but they are poor substitutes for actual research. If you’re going to subject everyone else to your opinion, put in the hours and do the leg-work. If you don’t, all it takes is one smug snake to point out that, “actually, Thomas Edison didn’t invent the light bulb,” and your point lies in ruins.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t have an opinion. In fact, if you don’t have an opinion about most things, you’re either a freak or very, very apathetic. Which brings me, in a roundabout way, to the point of this column:

Look at the top of the page. “Opinions,” it says. On this page, it’s mine, but on the other pages it really should be yours. This year, the section was managed by the vivacious and outgoing Tiffany Mugo, and the next year it will be me.

Naturally, this seamless trans-ition from excitable black chick to a white guy who only recently learnt that you shouldn’t wear pants around your navel won’t make that much of a difference, because it isn’t us who writes the articles.

So send ‘em in. We can’t guarantee a spectacular 2012, or even a cogent one, but we can promise one thing. It’s certainly going to be interesting.

Bazinga!