Shucking Oysters: That’s Your Opinion
By Alex Allen
“Everybody has opinions. I have them, you have them. And we are all told from the moment we open our eyes, that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Well, that’s horsepuckey, of course. We are not entitled to our opinions; we are entitled to our informed opinions. Without research, without background, without understanding, it’s nothing. It’s just bibble-babble. It’s like a fart in a wind tunnel, folks.” – Harlan Ellison
As always, when there are big issues with hints of controversy, we all have an opinion. And more often that not, strong ones. But are my opinions better or more right than yours? Are they well-reasoned? Have I got all the facts? How many times have we heard: “that’s not a fact; that’s just your opinion”?
We humans are irrational creatures who mistakenly believe we use logic and reason to arrive at our decisions. The reality is that we routinely make irrational decisions and then try to rationalize them. The way human minds are wired, if we take a strong position on an issue, we are unlikely to change our minds even when facts emerge that challenge our initial belief. As Scott Adams put it: “The most important thing you will understand about the human experience: being absolutely right and being spectacularly wrong feel exactly the same.” Everything is a slippery slope until it isn’t.
A reasonable thinker doesn’t make empty claims and try to pass them off as right, which is what some do when they say someone’s argument is just an opinion. We already know that without even knowing what you are talking about. What we want to know is: “Is your opinion backed by convincing reasons?” It’s not particularly valuable if all you can tell us is that it’s wrong or biased. If you can’t tell us why it’s wrong, you’re wasting our time. You might as well criticize somebody for “having an idea.” Stating opinions or having ideas are not faults in of themselves.
We all inhabit a reality of our own making. In each of our artificial bubbles, “we know our version of things is both proper and right, while all people who disagree with us are obviously wretched, ignorant and weak.” Quite naturally, we think of those who agree with us as objective and those who disagree as biased. Unfortunately, intellectual humility is a rare quality in human life.
In his book, The Second Mountain, David Brooks touches on tribalism, calling it “the dark twin of community.” While community is connection based on mutual affection, tribalism is connection based on mutual dislike. It’s natural to take sides – we’re tribal by nature. Brooks further notes: “Tribalism is community for lonely narcissists.”
The world has become a very divided place. Especially on social media, you find people with very strong opinions and you just know that there’s no room for discussion. If you disagree, insults start to fly, and usually, anyone with an opposing view is personally shamed. That’s what happens when people truly believe that their opinion is superior to one and all and cannot possibly entertain that there may actually be a different point of view.
And then we have assumptions. Assumptions are like lies. Once they have been uttered it’s hard to take them back. Our assumptions become so ingrained in us that we don’t even question them. Whether they are true or not, we accept and believe these things to be true. The problem is that most of the time, our assumptions – the narratives we tell ourselves – are simply inaccurate.
And lies. As a species, we are also wired for both credulity and for telling lies. Justin Gregg, in his book, If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal, wrote that “it is that combination of traits – this bizarre mismatch between the human ability to lie and spot lies – that makes us a danger to ourselves.” Apparently, humans tell, on average, between one and two verbal lies a day. As we get older, we tell fewer lies, which has less to do with our “maturing sense of morality” and more to do with the fact “that it makes it harder to pull off the mental gymnastics needed to keep track of the nonsense we’re spouting.”
Lying is common because lying works. Telling lies is a super-effective way to get ahead in the world. An even better way to get ahead is to take it to the next level: bullshitting. The bullshitter has an extra advantage, in that they don’t waste time worrying about the truth; they just focus all their energy on being believed instead of being accurate.
Why is it so difficult for us to find common ground? The answer is as complex as the problem. The appeal of simplicity in a “right vs. wrong” / “us vs. them” world is undeniable. It is simple to explain and asks that we only understand one side – your side, the right one.
How can we find ways to allow for personal expression and opinion, to be inclusive of everyone’s beliefs, while being civil and respectful? The world’s challenges are far too complex for a one-size-fits-all solution. But, we cannot allow our fears, bias, and the agenda of a few powerful individuals to drive us away from solving the common challenges we face. At least that’s my opinion, anyway.
