If You’re Gonna Give Me Your Opinion, Know What You’re Talking About
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A friend of mine wrote a response to this post and wanted me to post it on my blog. The original post can be found on The Dilbert Blog and http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/09/on-the-other-ha.html.
Written by Amanda E. G.
I agree…when forming my opinions on various topics, I like to hear all sides of the argument so that I have the most well informed opinion possible. That is why I like to watch news shows and political programs, such as Bill Maher and Meet the Press. You get to hear many different sides of an argument from panelists of varying backgrounds and viewpoints. It keeps me sharp. A lot of times I disagree with people whose political viewpoints differ from mine, but sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I disagree with people who have similar political leanings as mine. These possibilities keep me tuned into the goings on of all political parties’ affairs, viewpoints, and ideologies. I need to be the most well informed I can possibly be in order to form an intelligent and well thought out opinion based on facts, regardless of which side of an argument produces those facts.
People can often times be so closed minded that they fail to see the logic in any argument presented by someone with a differing viewpoint. For example, Liberals and Democrats are screaming at Conservatives and Republicans to get their shit together and pull out all military occupation in Iraq immediately. I am a liberal (moderate to some extent, but socially liberal nonetheless. Please note, I do not consider myself a Democrat…I register as an Independent). I am against the war. I don’t believe we should be over there in this foreign affairs failure to begin with. However, I am not in favor of an immediate withdrawal like most of my fellow Liberals. I believe that would be a foreign affairs nightmare! We created this mess and now we have to clean it up. We owe it to the innocent people whose country we turned upside down. Not to mention, there is legitimate concern for our country’s safety and security if we allow Iraq to become the cesspool of the Middle East. That is the reality of the situation. Instead of demanding an immediate pull out, we really need to be focusing on a solution from both sides, because the U.S. is not eliminating its occupation anytime soon, and it’s clear that the Iraqi government is not making the political strides our government so eagerly hoped for (this is where an understanding of the Islamic and Middle Eastern culture/political system would have been crucial prior to an invasion of one such country!)
Another reality…nothing is ever black or white. People, world issues, and anything worth discussing, really exist in a gray area, which very few people are willing to acknowledge or accept. By sticking yourself in a box, a single minded way of thinking, you eliminate the possibility of developing an understanding of all things existing outside that box, which might include the most brilliant and creative solution to a problem that neither side could ever imagine, because their box is too narrow.
I will definitely admit I am in a constant state of cognitive dissonance, except in relation to documented Human Rights violations. But in such instances, I don’t believe there is any stance you can reasonably or conscionably take, other than that which favors the well being of the abused individuals. For example, one could not understandably argue against the plight of women in Afghanistan who burn themselves in protest of their wretched living conditions, which they must endure simply because they are female–a situation that was imposed on them after the Taliban, a strict Islamic-fundamentalist regime, took control of the Afghani government. Any argument in favor of the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law, would be surmounted by our obligation to expunge any value associated with this regime’s ideology.
I find myself belaboring issues, of any type, because I have a hard time concluding my opinion without, what I consider, adequate information. I wish people with uncompromising positions on an issue were better informed…I don’t think their points of view would be quite so resolute. That is why I am constantly reinforming myself…information is always changing. Also, I don’t always know what is accurate and credible information. One must always consider the source of information, its reliability, and whether an additional source of equal or greater credibility could refute that information. With all of these considerations, make use of cognitive dissonance, and learn to channel information in a constructive way that helps you derive intelligent and thoughtful interpretations of the world around you, from other intelligent and thoughtful people, such as yourself.
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