There is nothing wrong with having strong opinions, but always remember this doesn’t mean you are right. There is a difference between a fact-based opinion and an experiential opinion. In one case, you use hard evidence and objective data to state your position. In the other case, you are relying more on subjective experience and personal beliefs to make your point. The peril of experiential opinions lies in their reliance solely on the advocate’s personal filters. They are also based on a singular and usually stunted view of reality. Being louder and more passionate about something will certainly garner attention; however, this doesn’t mean you are right, and very often means you are rude, close-minded, and/or a poor listener.
Fight Fair, Not Dirty
In all types of relationships, you can either fight fairly or fight dirty. When I observe someone getting personally critical of another person and/or talking over them rather than focusing on the topic at hand, I assume they want to fight dirty because they know they have a weaker position (or are intellectually lazy). Leaders can’t afford to have their decisions overly laced with or influenced by their own or others’ strong opinions. Reality has a way of overcoming obstinacy. Your professional reputation primarily depends on how others perceive your thought process, decision-making abilities, and personal conduct. Power may provide you with the platform to be self-righteous, but these same actions hinder your ability to create true followership and garner long-term support. Have you ever noticed how the student in the classroom who thinks they are the smartest person in the room rarely is (and everyone else comes to this conclusion early on)?Ideology Over Evidence
Unfortunately, America is becoming a country that is increasingly governed by strong opinions and ideology rather than empirical evidence and collective self-interest. It has always been much easier to divide people instead of uniting them. Most of us would rather validate what we already believe than accept a contrary point of view. We are great at preparing to talk but terrible at active listening. Attacking someone else’s position is an easy trap to fall into. What we fail to realize is that progress is a direct result of challenging the status quo and opening our minds to innovative ideas and concepts. As stated in many other blogs, no one person or group of people has the market cornered on clever ideas. They just think they do. Once you believe you know it all, please give the reins of power to someone else. Of course, it’s important to be decisive, but make sure you are committed to making the right decision, not just doing what is intellectually convenient or playing to your own prejudices and/or vulnerabilities. If you fall in love with your own opinions, you limit your potential for results. You also hinder your ability to build strong personal and professional relationships.Related articles
- How to Disagree Without Arguing (kwaby.wordpress.com)
- On Logical Deduction: Fact, Inference, or Opinion (goingdeeperlineuponline.wordpress.com)
- Neuropsychology Of Politics – Haidt Two (taxi-dog.com)
- The Dominance Paradigm (drjeffeisen.com)
- Opining on Opinions (johz.wordpress.com)