No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, it’s a dangerous time to hold an opinion.
I may not be very old, but I remember a time when it was still okay to make mistakes. In fact, making mistakes was even encouraged. Learning from your failures was how you grew; it was how you developed your character. Part of growing meant holding opinions that may not be universally understood or accepted.
In my humble – and dare I say dangerous – opinion, we now live in a society where an opinion can cost you everything. As a result, many refuse to speak their mind for fear of ostracism. Or adversely, they speak too boldly in the mistaken notion their opinion is the only one worthy of being heard.
I have noticed this over the last few years, and increasingly so since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the years, I have grown more confident speaking boldly on matters of importance, regardless of whether my opinion would be accepted or not. Though, I’ll admit I have often refrained from speaking as boldly as my heart led me to for fear of what people might think of me.
At the start of my journalism career, I was eager to share my views with the world. I hit the ground running with a few opinion columns that aimed to bridge the political divide during the pandemic.
One column got me in trouble with an anonymous reader who had some nasty things to say – not about my opinion, but about me as a human being. It discouraged me from speaking as boldly as I may have otherwise done in my columns for some time afterwards. I hate to admit the reader’s words had an effect on me. Looking back, I see the emptiness of their words, which were absent of any intelligent argument or debate.
Lately, I’ve seen the same type of attacks being levelled against those who are exercising their right to an opinion in the form of public protests across the country. Like the anonymous reader did after my column, many of these attackers aren’t responding to the arguments and ideas being presented, but instead are calling into question the moral character of the individuals presenting them.
I wholeheartedly admit I don’t have all the answers, but I don’t think any one person does. As a result, I believe we each have a duty to be humble and listen more than we speak. Part of that is listening to the experts in various subject matters, including experts we may not agree with. But it’s also about listening to our friends, family members, work colleagues, and neighbours who might have a differing perspective from us.
Truth can only be found if we seek first to understand others.
