Reply #12: I'm not disagreeing with you. Many opinions are greatly overrated. [View All]

And many "opinions" are really beliefs and prejudices. That may be Freshman Comp stuff, but most people really don't understand that.

Opinions, like ideologies are ways to order facts, to try to bring sense to surrounding realities as I am understanding it, that is. And, yes, they need to be critiqued freely and frequently. Other wise, the world is flat and the sun revolves around it. Or is it a disc resting on the backs of four elephants traveling through the universe on the back of a tortoise, a la Terry Pratchett? Or "trickle down" and "supply side" make up a viable economic theory.

My feeling, and I get into trouble with this all the time, is if you have an opinion, be able to back it up, be able to defend it. No drama or histrionics are required And if you can't, keep your lip zipped. And don't be a baby. We are not in kindergarten anymore. We should be mature and be respectful of the other person. But that can be quite difficult if the other person gets snippy and snarky, first.

Yup, I got into big trouble at my in-laws last month. They just love their beliefs and prejudices, they really think they are opinions.