Opinions, Opinions Everywhere

Is Attaining 'e pluribus unum' A Lost Cause?

Opinions, Opinions Everywhere

After a ‘false start’ down the impenetrable road of philosophical schools of thought, I have come to my senses. Far simpler to wander down the path strewn with countless points of view, discussing them all as a single ‘package.’

First, reading the formal, dictionary definitions of ‘opinion’ immediately tells us that there is even variation in what we might mean by the word. For instance, this was the first entry of my Google search for its definition: 

noun

• A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof: synonym: view.
  Similar: view

• A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert.
  "a medical opinion."

• A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing.
  "has a low opinion of braggarts."

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition • More at Wordnik   

Let’s begin with an example that satisfies the first two options - the Earth is not flat. It is roughly spherical in shape, or in more common language, round. One needn’t be a physicist* who can ‘prove’ it because the ‘evidence’ presents itself with every dawn and sunset. 

*[We should also acknowledge that every ‘proof’ that Science provides, produces further questions suggesting to the modern human mind deeper investigation. To a true scientist, Science is NOT merely the most recent ‘conclusions.’ It is a never-ending series of questions.]

Leaving the world of those never-ending questions behind, it’s time to focus on the infinite world of ‘public’ opinions, but again, as the aforementioned single ‘package.’ For our purposes, the specifics are of no importance. 

Since any society is only as viable as its ability to handle the differences in opinion that inevitably arise, it seems clear that USA 2024 is in deep shite. After agreeing on the day’s date and local time, reconciliation in our country quickly disappears amid a tsunami of arguments.

The quagmire in which we presently wallow is obvious to anyone paying the least bit of attention, and only those who have made a conscious decision to ignore the world have a chance of remaining unaware of our predicament. Needless to say, the quagmire is most likely the motivation for choosing to put one’s head in the sand. 

Before continuing, a couple of general thoughts about opinions should prove helpful. We should recognize an important assumption. We hold the opinions we have because we believe them to be true, or at least as close to true as we can manage. 

Secondly, the tenacity with which we hold our opinions varies for a mishmash of reasons. Our level of ‘investment’ will dictate how likely we are to either defend or give up our take on things. To tangle that web further, our views can fluctuate over time. My outlook, today, includes details that I have added on occasion after stumbling over them. I am confident that I am far from alone. 

You will note that the aforementioned tenacity doesn’t require us to leave the first definition of opinion:

      A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof:   

Nor do countless stumbles automatically cause us to be more careful about our level of tenacity. This seems especially true in states of heightened emotions, like those in which we presently live. 

We are filling figurative ocean after ocean with our opinions, discarded and present, as fast as we are filling Earth’s seven oceans with our garbage. I fear that the real oceans will never be restored, if we prove unable to come to grips with the metaphorical. 

That’s my opinion, which I will happily discard, when/if someone can ‘prove me wrong’ or ‘talk me out of it.’ Peace.