I’ve been thinking – how should I form my opinions on things? And what is the value of my opinions?
Some time ago I was having a conversation with a highly accomplished young woman who was on her way to medical school. She was explaining to me that she didn’t have a lot of time to read, but she loved the thirty second videos on YouTube that were helping her get an opinion on everything. Is that the point? Does thirty seconds provide her with enough information to have an opinion?
Probably, yes. But would it be an informed opinion? Unlikely. And what if she is making important decisions based on one or two things she heard on YouTube? Are her opinions based on facts? Were the sources of information she chose credible? Or were her sources also using thirty second videos to create the facts they were sharing with others? And if these opinions touted as facts are shared often enough, will they eventually be seen as an alternative to the facts?
And if so, what’s the danger in that?
Harlan Ellison (1934 – 2018), a prolific American author, once said:
“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”
I think I agree with him.
What do you think?
Until tomorrow, GUNG Ho friends!