I feel like it is important to address the most controversial opinion I have grown to hold, and what better time to write about it than after contributing to the Opinion section for over two years? Looking back at my past articles, if you were ever interested in what I have been writing over the past two years, you might have noticed that I rarely write about politics or bring up sensitive topics that are likely to push someone’s buttons. In fact, the most controversial and debatable article I have written is probably the one about enforcing leashes on dogs, which I still strongly stand by. However, I would like to argue that just because I do not write about certain topics does not mean that I do not hold any opinions or thoughts about them. In fact, for people like myself, if we were in a more private setting, would probably be able to share some of our opinions, whether they are polarizing or more neutral.
Personally, writing strong opinions about a certain topic is difficult for many reasons. One of them is that a lot of our opinions are not irreversible. Depending on the new information we acquire over time or a turn of events, there is a high chance that our views on certain topics may change. Even if we think it might not be likely to happen, as many of us firmly believe that people don’t tend to change, life can be very unpredictable. Personally, thinking that your viewpoint is a permanent aspect of your character is a bold assumption. Especially with a written source like The Daily Campus, whatever you choose to publish can remain and follow you for the rest of your life. Another reason why it is sometimes better to hold off on giving your opinions is that there is a lot of fake news circulating on the internet. Many journalists focus on writing the most clickbait, juicy articles in a suspiciously short amount of time, only for the public to find out they were exaggerated and far from the truth days later. Unfortunately, with the massive help of social media platforms, anyone with an account can produce heavily forged content for the world to see and share. As someone who has fallen for this tactic, sharing an article that is later proven to be false on your social media is probably the most embarrassing thing I have done with my account.
However, just because I prefer not to share does not mean I do not hold any thoughts on the matter. Constantly avoiding even the slightest opinion on the issues currently happening around the world is not, in my view, ideal. Simultaneously, you can be careful and still be a quiet opinionator. If you are not sure which stance to take, gathering enough information by staying updated on recent articles can help. Discussing with close people in your life and sharing each other’s thoughts can also help build a solid, well-thought-out argument.
Keep in mind there are many resources to consult for controversial topics and there is no reason to pick just one side. Many global social conflicts are not black and white. It’s not like in hero movies where only a certain group of people can be good while others are purely evil. It’s far too many people and too long a history for those to be just fragmentary issues.
While we have the freedom to express ourselves, we must also accept the responsibility that comes with it. Moreover, continuing the behavior of the “three wise monkeys”—or the practice of “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”—will ultimately disadvantage your conscience and your understanding of the world.