My opinion on having an opinion | The Triangle

My opinion on having an opinion

Opinions make the world colorful. They spice up the world with different perspectives. Being a journalist is exhilarating because I get to interact with people of all different backgrounds and understand how someone’s life can shape their opinions. Everyone’s unique experiences create opinions that are vocalized to the world, making it vibrant and lively.

But opinions have also caused a lot of war. Some opinions are controversial, and people will strongly disagree with them if they do not match their own beliefs. It is difficult to put yourself in another person’s shoes, and frankly, most people are convinced that their opinions are more practical than anyone else’s.

But when does disagreeing with others go too far? After all, everyone is legally entitled to their own opinion. We are even legally entitled to disagree as well. With that in mind, everyone must remember that it is important to respect other people’s’ opinions.

Accepting other people’s’ opinions has especially been difficult this year. Many unfortunate events have happened around the world, and they are all at the center of this year’s presidential election. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have controversial opinions on these events, and it is often difficult not to have the urge to scream and wish they would never speak again. Disagreeing with either of the candidates is very common. After all, they are in competition to govern over 300 million people, as well as have a voice in world affairs, so their opinions should reflect what most people believe.

Strongly disagreeing with, even disliking, a candidate is not too far. What takes disagreeing too far is when one inflicts malicious acts on others solely because one’s opinion does not agree with theirs. This is the kind of violence and intolerance that has started wars and prejudice. I see this as an act of entitlement. For some reason, some people believe that their opinions hold more value than others’, and are willing to declare war because of it.

Nobody’s opinion will ever truly hold more value than another’s. All seven billion people on Earth are humans too, with voices and minds that all have the same opportunity to change the world. With that many people, opinions are bound to conflict at some point, but that’s OK as long as it is met with respect and understanding.

Respecting others and understanding different perspectives can be a humbling experience. It is an easier way to better understand the complex world that we all live in. Having an opinion means possessing the most potent power in the world, and it is up to us to decide what impact we will create with that power.