Guilty of having an opinion? Here is why it’s wonderful to have one
Politics is what politicians do. This stereotype does not hold well in the present world. From Politician, I mean the white adorned human with ever-ready ‘Namaste’; the humble image of the public representative. Politics today happens in industries, families, sports, and so on.
Talking politics on any platform, whether real-world or digital, never fails to create warmth. People in jubilation criticize the incapacity of our politicians. Humanity is united in bashing left, right, and center the governance system. Some pledge allegiance to one party while some pledge to others. Euphonious words exchanged, and righteousness established.
Nothing is wrong with having an opinion on politics. All of our lives are affected by the governance system. All of us seek and utilize electricity supply, water supply, roads, environment, etc., whether the rich, the poor, the corporate, or the self-employed, and not without paying the necessary fees. Public services intervene all our lives. It is not only the right but also the duty of every citizen to dissect, criticize, and appraise the working of the government.
Why having an opinion is alright.
How about economics? Inflation affects us all. A rise in tomato prices burns a hole in the pocket of all citizens, more so the poor. The collapse of banks, in turn, affects credit creation across various sectors. Market investment is all the buzz these days; any policy change concerns those investing. Even the demonetization in 2016 affected us all.
What about society? The practice of dowry, rapes, discrimination against women and LGBTQIA+, etc., all things are very much affecting our lives. Someday one of our kids comes out as nonbinary would you escape a conversation then?
Chemistry? Yes, even that. Coronavirus did not discriminate and caused havoc in the life of every human being on this planet. Any development in vaccines and their nature is a field of chemistry. How efficient and easily transportable, mass production capacity, side effects, etc., all these matters to the citizens who were left vulnerable, insecure, economically battered by the epidemic.
Philosophy? Why not!? Our lives are unique to us. Our journey and the dilemmas are faced and defined by us distinct from the mass. Our interpretation of nature, friendship, love, profession, passion, etc., all have unique meanings which we develop over time. Waves of success and failure are defined so by us. Thus, it is obvious to dwell on these thoughts our way.
I think I have made my point. There is nothing under the sun that does not affect our life. Days are long gone when our civilization was subservient, and questioning has evolved as a mass tool to check our progress and growth. We may not understand the complex theorems of physics dealing with rocket propulsion or Anatomy of a Whale. However, if there is ever a need for it, we wouldn’t shy away from a Google search.
It’s okay to have an opinion. Whether informed or ill-informed, at least you tried. Could you have tried better? Yes, maybe you could have read more facts, developed greater insight. Perhaps being open to change would empower you further.
What if It’s different?
Then even better. A different opinion puts thought to the test. It checks the resilience and whether it serves a larger public good without discriminating against the minority.
What if I don’t want to?
Yes, now one might consciously choose — not to bother themselves over all the activities of the world, and rightly so. We have only so much time on our hands, and selectively allocating is our prerogative. There is already enough swamp for each of us to walk through in our lives. Some of us only hope that everybody is doing their jobs to the best of their abilities.
