The Struggle to Form an Opinion

I have two confessions to make. One, it was challenging for me to write this blog, even though the subject excited me but for long I couldn’t lead it anywhere. Two, I realised that forming an opinion is becoming difficult for me.  

The thing that bothered me the most was my struggle to have an opinion. I understand that being judgemental is wrong but being opinionated, can’t be questioned. We are free to think, right? We are free to come up with our unique ideas. Everyone today has so much to share. Social media dominates the world, and the load of that information is unbearable for mind to process. But then the truth is we should have clarity of what we want and how we want to lead our life.

Now, here is the thing should is a confusing word. I should be rich. I should be the president of a country. I should be the CEO of a 100 billion company. I should be happy. Should for me is woven with the strings of aspirations and expectations and we all are caught up in that web. It is that one word that tries to bridge the gap between expectations and reality. It is deceptive and breeds self-doubt.

Nonetheless, I can say with confidence that, amid all the chaos of conflicting thoughts and overwhelming mediums of communication, opinions should matter. They are the core that bring reform, not glory, or fame. They are the base to spark the movement and make people speak what they either feel or think.

Most of us stay silent because of our conditioning or circumstances. Me Too is a big example for us. For years, we were angry, frustrated, sad and scared. We were willing to be quite to keep us safe. We were hiding to protect ourselves from people’s eyes. That one move broke all the floodgates.

#MeToo movement started in 2006 and caught fire in 2017. It was founded by survivor and activist Tarana Burke. As the hashtag went viral, anger displayed across borders and ages. Horror stories that were till now silent showed us a mirror of how judgement kills us, and opinions bring revolution. Vocalising the pain and showing the courage to be vulnerable connected people in healing from the trauma of suppression and abuse.

We have learned that staying quiet is equivalent to silent death. There can’t be a change without understanding multiple aspects of an issue. We need forums to engage into meaningful conversations to take our opinions ahead. We need to hold hands to support each other.

The paradox of choice comes into play as we face an overwhelming array of perspectives. With countless opinions at our disposal, decision fatigue can set in, making it increasingly difficult to settle on a single viewpoint. The fear of making the wrong choice or embracing an uninformed stance can be paralyzing. That is when empathy and open-mindedness come to our rescue. Engaging in respectful dialogues with individuals and holding different opinions can broaden our understanding and challenge our preconceptions.

In doing so, we may find that the struggle to form an opinion is not a hurdle to overcome but a path toward enlightenment and a deeper understanding of the multifaceted world we inhabit.