It’s a matter of opinion!
I find it a little disconcerting when people think their particular opinions on a matter are the authority without evaluating the conversation. Then they make condescending comments belittling the individual for having the views they do.
Just because a person disagrees with another’s opinion does not mean they are right. Even in that, individuals have the right to speak their own opinions and believe what they want in a society that seems to still allow freedom of speech, although how free we are to speak out minds is questionable these days.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines opinion as “1a: a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular subject b: APPROVAL, ESTEEM 2a: belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge b: a generally held view 3a: a formal expression of judgment or advice by an individual b: the formal expression (as by a judge, court, or referee) of the legal reasons and principles upon which a legal decision is based.”
In a very interesting article “What if you considered other peoples’ views” by Monica A. Frank, Ph. D. in the Excel At Life newsletter. Frank says, "...many disagreements create a “spiral of conflict” rather than cooperation. Each side is focused more on proving “rightness” than on resolving the problem...As an experiment, for a couple weeks try to truly understand others' opinions and positions without defending your own." The article in full can be read at
https://www.excelatlife.com/articles/listening.htm Copyright © 2016 by Excel At Life, LLC.
At the end of the article, in summary she says, “…it doesn't hurt you to show an interest in others' opinions and it may give you greater understanding why they believe the way they do. Sometimes it can solve a problem or improve a relationship. And, if nothing else, you may learn something. As an experiment, for a couple weeks try to truly understand others' opinions and positions without defending your own.”
Another interesting article “Facts Don’t Change People’s Minds. Here’s What Does,” written by formal scientist Ozan Varol, makes some interesting points: “The mind doesn’t follow the facts. Facts, as John Adams put it, are stubborn things, but our minds are even more stubborn. Doubt isn’t always resolved in the face of facts for even the most enlightened among us, however credible and convincing those facts might be.
“As a result of the well-documented confirmation bias, we tend to undervalue evidence that contradicts our beliefs and overvalue evidence that confirms them. We filter out inconvenient truths and arguments on the opposing side. As a result, our opinions solidify, and it becomes increasingly harder to disrupt established patterns of thinking. We believe in alternative facts if they support our pre-existing beliefs.” https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/facts-dont-change-peoples-minds-heres/16242/
In Psychology Today magazine, Susan Kraus Whitbourne writes in her article “How Little Disagreements Can Destroy the Best Relationships,” “The problem that can occur when people disagree on a subjective matter, as Cheek et al. (newly published study by Princeton University’s Nathan Cheek and colleagues -2021) point out, is that the person on one side of the issue can come to regard those on the opposite side as having negative personal attributes such as being ignorant, ill-informed, lazy, and biased. Even though everyone may recognize that many views can be right on a subjective matter, when people adopt one set of views, other people can start to view them from this negative perspective.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/202105/how-little-disagreements-can-destroy-the-best-relationships
As far as I am concerned, people can hold to their beliefs and opinions, but also these can change with time, information and perspective. In all of it, we can decide to agree to disagree and be at peace. Live and let live may be a good philosophy, although that might be a matter of opinion, as well.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
