ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

EACH PERSON Has A Right To HIS/HER Opinion? Really?

Updated on May 16, 2015
gmwilliams profile image

Grace loves to write commentaries on psychocultural and sociocultural dynamics in their myriad forms.

All of us were taught that there are many aspects and sides to the same issue. In fact, we are told that we should be broadminded and consider the opinions of others as we do our own.
All of us were taught that there are many aspects and sides to the same issue. In fact, we are told that we should be broadminded and consider the opinions of others as we do our own.
Parents tell their children that they should not be dismissive of others' opinions because they may be different from our own. In fact, such dismissiveness is frowned upon.
Parents tell their children that they should not be dismissive of others' opinions because they may be different from our own. In fact, such dismissiveness is frowned upon.
Although we profess that others have valid opinions & there are different sides/answers to the same issues,we actually believe that our opinions are the only valid opinions.In addition to THAT,we assert that we have THE RIGHT to our own opinion.
Although we profess that others have valid opinions & there are different sides/answers to the same issues,we actually believe that our opinions are the only valid opinions.In addition to THAT,we assert that we have THE RIGHT to our own opinion.
It is human nature to believe that our opinions are the only legitimate ones.We also believe that we have the unmitigated right to express such opinions whether it is believed to be right or wrong.Differing opinions often lead to arguments.
It is human nature to believe that our opinions are the only legitimate ones.We also believe that we have the unmitigated right to express such opinions whether it is believed to be right or wrong.Differing opinions often lead to arguments.
Arguments occur because one person feels invalidated as a result of another person presenting a different opinion. This invalidation causes one person to go into the attack mode.
Arguments occur because one person feels invalidated as a result of another person presenting a different opinion. This invalidation causes one person to go into the attack mode.
There are SOME people who actually RESORT to using pejorative names &/or other epithets in order to get THEIR point across.They refuse to let the argument &/or issue alone.
There are SOME people who actually RESORT to using pejorative names &/or other epithets in order to get THEIR point across.They refuse to let the argument &/or issue alone.
There are parents who have a near authoritarian or totalitarian family structure.Not only do they maintain that THEY have a right to express their opinion/viewpoint, they strongly assert that there is only ONE CORRECT viewpoint in the family-THEIRS!
There are parents who have a near authoritarian or totalitarian family structure.Not only do they maintain that THEY have a right to express their opinion/viewpoint, they strongly assert that there is only ONE CORRECT viewpoint in the family-THEIRS!
Some parents actually DISOWN their children because their opinions/viewpoints are DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED or DIFFERENT from THEIRS.
Some parents actually DISOWN their children because their opinions/viewpoints are DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED or DIFFERENT from THEIRS.
Contentious relationships does not only occur within families.Such relationships occur among associates, friends, & relatives where differences of opinions often divide them.This is because one party believes that his/her opinion is RIGHT.
Contentious relationships does not only occur within families.Such relationships occur among associates, friends, & relatives where differences of opinions often divide them.This is because one party believes that his/her opinion is RIGHT.
Conflicts including genocidal acts, massacres,& wars occur because one group contends that its opinions are MORE SUPERIOR than that of another group which are considered to be INFERIOR at best.
Conflicts including genocidal acts, massacres,& wars occur because one group contends that its opinions are MORE SUPERIOR than that of another group which are considered to be INFERIOR at best.
It is human nature to want others of similar outlook.People are quite uncomfortable& often disturbed by others who present differing opinions& viewpoints.It is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for us to accept the latter.
It is human nature to want others of similar outlook.People are quite uncomfortable& often disturbed by others who present differing opinions& viewpoints.It is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for us to accept the latter.

YOU May Have An Opinion But What DO YOU Know!

I. Opinions, Opinions, We ALL Have One


Remember the saying that there are many sides to everything? All of us realize this. We even explain this to our children when they insist that another child is stupid because he/she has a different viewpoint.

We inculcate our children with the premise that it is good, even preferable to be broadminded and be accepting of other's opinions. We even have the mantra different strokes for different folks. But is that what we actually believe? Well, is it? While many people tacitly state that there are different viewpoints, in actuality they believe that their viewpoint is the only valid and/or substantial one and that other viewpoints are somehow inferior to theirs.

It is the rare and self-assured person who can readily accept another person's viewpoints. It is even rarer for many people to understand another person's viewpoint. People who can readily accept and understand another person's viewpoint have a rare empathy indeed.

How many times was there a discussion which involved differing viewpoints without it escalating into an argument? The times that such discussions occur can be counted on a half a hand or better yet, a half a finger. More times than not, any discussion where there is more than one viewpoint, especially if there is more than one differing viewpoint, is likely to end up in a slight verbal altercation or an argument.


II. YOUR Opinion, Really Now, Why Should I Listen to YOU


Human beings have a tendency to believe that their viewpoint and/or life experience is the only legitimate one. We feel that we have the authentic experience regarding the subject at hand. If we experience and/or believe in something and another person presents a differing viewpoint on the same subject, oftentimes the differing opinion is considered to be an affront to us. Instead of understanding, if not accepting the other person's viewpoint, we are threatened by the differing opinion.

We feel as if we are verbally attacked by the other person. Probably the other person may know something that we do not about the subject. Maybe he/she has a fresher approach to the subject that we do not have!

We have a viewpoint and/or opinion on the subject based upon our life view and life experience. When others present a different opinion based upon their particular life view and life experience, we oftentimes feel as if they are trying to invalidate our experiences. None of us appreciate being invalidated. When we feel that we are invalidated by others, we get into the attack mode.

When we are in the attack mode, we assert the right to be correct and that is when arguments start. It is a rare person who wants to be invalidated and to be considered to be wrong. Psychologically, it does not feel good to be wrong. People want to feel as if they are right. That is part of human nature.


III. Different Opinion=WRONG Opinion


Have you ever presented a differing opinion and/or life experience to another person only to be told that you do not know what you are talking about and that you are stating your opinion because you do not know better? All of us have from time to time. Then there are people who personally attack others because the latter has a different opinion. Then the pejorative names and other epithets come. Of course, this is childish and immature behavior but this behavior is common nevertheless.

This type of behavior even occurs in families. Remember the adage that charity begins at home. Well, there should be an adage that misunderstandings begin at home. While there are families who are accepting and encouraging of each other's diverse opinions and viewpoints, there are families who believe in strict conformity to the prevailing family consensus whether it is religious, political, and/or similar construct.

Many parents convey to their children that there is only one familial viewpoint and any other viewpoint is considered, well, unacceptable. Yes, there are parents who insist that their opinion is the only correct opinion and viewpoint in the household. Children who conform to the family's viewpoint receive rewards and are deemed easy and nonthreatening. Conversely, children who express different opinions and have divergent viewpoints are critiqued and told to get back in line.

Many parents naturally are quite comfortable with their opinions and viewpoints on life. They cannot visualize why others, especially their children, would dare to have a different viewpoint. They maintain that it is totally plausible to say the least. To such parents, it is either their viewpoint or no viewpoint! As one parent I have encountered stating that there is only ONE LEGITIMATE and INTELLIGENT viewpoint and opinion-HIS! This parent exemplify the aforementioned. He ruled his wife and two sons with an iron hand-no dissent was allowed!

There are family members who would go as far as to disown and/or disassociate from family members who have differing opinions and/or viewpoints. For example, there are many strictly religious people who no longer consider a nonreligious and/or atheist family member a part of the family. To these strictly religious people, these family members are nonentities because they do not believe the same as their parents and/or other family members.

Derision of dissenting opinions and viewpoints do not only occur in families. It occurs among friends, associates, and/or just plain strangers. There are many friends who fall out of favor with each other because of differing opinions. The basis of the friendship was that there would be a commonality regarding life viewpoints and opinions.


IV. My Opinion is The ONLY Legitimate One

This misunderstanding and nonacceptance of other's viewpoints and opinions does not only occur among families, friends, and associates. It also occurs in the larger society. Throughout history, discrimination, wars, and other acts of recrimination have occurred as a result of one person or one group believing that their viewpoint and beliefs are the only legitimate and acceptable ones. People who are presented differing viewpoints from that of the prevailing group have been penalized, banished, ostracized, or worse.

Examples of those who have been pillored for presenting different societal viewpoints included the early Christians in Rome, so-called heretics in medieval, Christian Europe, and the so-called witch inquisition in 1692 Salem. People have been banished from communities and put into prison or worse for expressing dissenting ideologies. To this day, people have been bullied or killed because they have opinions or viewpoints which are divergently different from others.

People have a habit of castigating those who present opinions that are different from the so-called norm. It is human nature to be uncomfortable with those who are different from us. Many people dislike differences because differences represent unfamiliarity. Unfamiliarity means uncertainty and the last thing people want to be is uncertain.

It is one of the basic human needs for people to have a sense of security and to be comfortable. We are safe with those who are similar to us, especially in terms of opinions and viewpoints. We love those who are similar to us for that is where we find our commonality. Even though we purport to accepting and understanding other's viewpoints, it is often difficult to do so. Oftentimes, accepting and understanding such divergent viewpoints and opinions can make one feel quite uneasy and it is easier said than done.


Conclusion

It is quite difficult for people to fully understand another person's viewpoint and opinion especially if the latter's viewpoint and opinion is divergently different. It is human nature to seek the familiar in terms of viewpoints and opinions as we have a commonality with those of similar viewpoints and opinions.

Some of us actually feel uncomfortable and threatened with those of divergent viewpoints and opinions. The very last thing many people would like to feel is uncomfortable. Many people displace their feelings of discomfort with differing opinions by castigating those with the differing opinions. Throughout history, those who expressed differing opinions have been ostracized in many ways from mere banishment to outright murder.

It is the rare evolved and mature person who is quite comfortable with the fact that others have different opinions and viewpoints. The rest of us have to evolve to a level of complete acceptance and perhaps understanding of others' different viewpoints and opinions, if ever.



Each Person Has a RIGHT to His/Her Opinion

Do YOU believe that people in general are open and accepting of another person's opinion?

See results

© 2012 Grace Marguerite Williams

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)