The following is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.
Part VII: Everybody Has One
El Hyena has heard it said that opinions are like…..noses (what did you think El Hyena was going to say?); everybody has one. Even El Hyena has opinions, and he will offer them if asked. El Hyena tries very hard not to impose unsolicited opinions on others, as some would say this is presumptuous. Not everyone cares what El Hyena thinks. All of us care what some people think about some things, but not so much others.
Opinions are verbal expressions of conclusions we have drawn. Some opinions are based on facts, i.e. things we know to be true and verifiable. Some opinions, however, are based on things we want to be true, even when not particularly plausible or credible. In this case, we want these purported facts to be true because they are consistent with what we already believe, for one reason or another. Our pre-existing beliefs result from our experiences and information we have observed (saw, heard, or read). Our beliefs and opinions are molded by our biases and conditioning.
To be biased is not a bad thing; everyone has biases. For example, El Hyena’s mother thinks he is charming and intelligent, while his ex-wife thought he was a boorish slob. Both are biased, but only The Momma Lady is right.
We are all entitled to our opinions, whether others like them or not. Some people appreciate and agree with our opinions, while others might think we are a wacko wearing a tinfoil hat. But who cares what those people think? The beauty of expressing our opinions is that they do not have to be plausible or realistic; we are free to offer them anyway. Even when our opinions are far-fetched, they are still within the realm of possibility. It is not important whether something is true; what is important is that it might be true, or ought to be.
Some opinions require a great deal of imagination when they are considered. It is much easier to accept these opinions when our beliefs about the subject are already consistent with the opinion being considered. Everyone is reluctant to accept and believe an opinion that differs from what we already believe. Some people automatically reject differing opinions without any fair consideration. This is called being close-minded. Others will give due consideration to differing opinions, evaluate them in light of other information they have observed, and make their own decision about their plausibility and credibility. Because these people are willing to consider differing opinions and give them a fair evaluation, they are open-minded.
Some people who express opinions have an agenda. Agendas are goal-directed, meaning there is an objective that is sought to be accomplished. People who have an agenda express opinions in furtherance of their agenda. They seek to enlighten or persuade other people to accept their opinions and share their beliefs, so that others will join them in seeking their goal. Stereotyping and labeling are encouraged when expressing opinions in furtherance of an agenda.
For example, let us suppose that El Hyena wants to discredit someone because he believes bad things about this person and therefore does not like him or her. El Hyena may seek to do this by saying unflattering things about this person in hopes of influencing others to think the same way. El Hyena might be so serious about his agenda that he spends a considerable amount of time searching to observe more and more unfavorable information about the object of his disdain. El Hyena is thus armed with more opinions to express, and might even stretch the truth a little in doing so. But this is allowed, because they are only his opinions and he is entitled to them. So there.
The best way for us to observe information consistent with our beliefs and opinions is to be selective in the information we choose to observe. This is why we have the internet. We are thus able to expand our horizons, yet limit our exposure to information we are already predisposed to accept and believe. We might join in the comments and, in doing so, our beliefs are often reinforced by comments that agree with us. These commentators are smart like us. If a commentator has the audacity to disagree with us we can call him or her names and heap scorn upon him or her, to the delight of our fellow enlightened ones. Is this a great country or what?
And so ends this month’s discussion, and every statement contained herein is the gospel truth. IMHO.
P.S. El Hyena heard a story the other day about a person who thought that “LOL” meant “Lots of Love”. When sending condolences to a friend, he (or she) wrote: “I’m so sorry you grandmother died. LOL”.
