When I was young I was lead to believe that I needed others to think for me. For others to create their opinion for me as mine. Subjects were just to complicated and I needed the benefit of their knowledge so that I could have the best or right opinion. As I have gotten older I have slowly come to realize that others' opinions were just that, their opinion, not mine. I realized that I was not as under-informed about ideas and issues as I was lead to believe. There is some fear also in presenting my own opinion since being critiqued can be a real bummer. So, in order to protect myself I could always use the disclaimer that the opinions I expressed were held by eminent scholars or politicians of unquestionable thoroughness of thought. What a big load of hooey. Whether I am acceptable or not in my own opinions is moot, the only thing that matters is that I honestly try to consider my principles and understandings and stand behind them. I am also obligated to change my opinions when different facts previously unconsidered enter into the discussion. I am flexible when I see the error in any judgement I have held regardless if it means I must admit that I made an incorrect judgement. In fact, I will always make some incorrect judgement solely by the fact that I am human and errors are a way of life for all of us by our very natures. Today, I refuse to be told what to think, I am always open to being taught how to think for myself.
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