It seems that over the past couple months or so, I started having and engaging in more political discussions (on account of the presidential election). When you’re in that space, it feels like you need to have an opinion on every little thing. Geopolitics, taxes, financial policy, etc. How important is it to educate myself and ask questions? Do you feel that pressure to have an opinion on everything?
edit: I don’t think this question is about politics, but if it is, I can delete this.
Yes, not having an option on something is fine. when people push you can always whip out “I don’t know enough about the topic to have an opinion.”
And if you want to fuck with conspiracy wackos you add “So I would just refer to experts on the subject if I wanted to learn about it.”
Also an excellent way to end conversation about a controversial topic when needed.
I would say it’s better to not have an opinion than to have an uninformed opinion.
Like a kid who has a strong opinion on a food that they’ve never tried. How can you know you don’t like something if you never tried it? Sure.
You could look at the ingredients and if you don’t like anything that goes in it you can assume that you wouldn’t like the end product, but at least some thought went into at that point.
I don’t have an opinion about this.
Me neither!
“I don’t know enough to have an informed opinion about this” is an admirable stance to take.
When it’s a cop-out for not wanting to be politically informed, it’s a crappy place to be. It can sound a lot like “I don’t know and I don’t care”.
I’ve often said that in order to redirect a conversation because I don’t like the opinion of the person I’m talking to and not because I’m actually ignorant about the subject.
This happens at work mostly, and I can’t just nuke that bridge with the person because we have to keep being able to work together. I’d like to tell them off for being ignorantly intolerant, but instead it’s more effective to just take away their enthusiasm for whatever they’re talking about. Do it enough times and they’ll eventually find someone else to bother.
That can backfire and then you get a retarTed Talk about how their viewpoint is the right one.
I just say “Bless your heart.” and walk away. Works best when talking to northerners because they don’t know what that means.
I’m in South Carolina, so that wouldn’t work so well here since everyone already knows what that means. I do agree that not giving them the opening to elaborate is key.
About pineapple pizza? Yes. About Nazis? No.
Don’t have an opinion. Have a code of ethics and empathy. That’ll dictate your opinions when they are needed
I think it’s better to be quiet on a matter you don’t understand.
I have a hell of a lot of respect for people who are forthright and just say “You know, I don’t have a lot of experience regarding <subject>, so I don’t think I can weigh in on that”
it amazes me how seldom people are brave enough to admit they don’t know something.
IDK man.
Yes. I think it’s good not to form opinions about subjects you don’t know much about.
When it comes to voting in an election, it’s possible to make good decisions about candidates without forming opinions about every policy issue. That’s kind of the point of representative democracy.
I mean, it’s okay to not have positions on a lot of things. People tend to get upset if the position you’re dithering over is whether they or their loved ones deserve to live or have equal human rights. Most other things, honorable people may differ.
How important is it to educate yourself and ask questions?
Very. Everything is political, and ignorance about politics is a luxury. It allows others to make decisions for you, often ones you wouldn’t choose yourself.
It’s fine to not have an opinion. It’s even fine to have an opinion and keep it to yourself. No-one has the right to an argument with you, after all.
It’s ok to not have an opinion, and also ok to be ambivalent about something.
Your time and attention are not unlimited resources.
“I don’t know enough on the topic to have an opinion.”… is what I use. I’ll even use that if I just don’t want to talk about something with someone I know doesn’t know the topic
On something, yeah. On everything? No.
