I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately. Everywhere I look people are voicing their opinions nowadays. This is all fine and dandy. We should use our brains more often, but why can’t people have the decency to make sure they know what they’re talking about?
I have no problem saying “I don’t know.” I make a lot of educated guesses, but I try not to disguise them as truth. To be honest, there is a whole lot of stuff I don’t know. I have no idea how the human brain works. I know plant cells have something called an endoplasmic reticulum, but I have haven’t the foggiest about what it does. I could go on, but I’m sure my point is made. I don’t know a whole lot more than I do know.
Maybe some of you do know how the human brain works, and that’s just great. I’m sure there’s something I know that you do not, however. We all are well versed on some subjects and clueless about others, and we all sound smarter admitting that and saying, “I don’t know,” than we do being proven wrong.
Everyone says we live in an information age. Maybe people think they know more because of easy access to the Internet. Maybe people have always been this way, but now they’ve been given a much louder voice. Who know… certainly not me.
If you want to debate something, KNOW THE FACTS. If you want to express your opinions and want others to listen, listen to the opinions of others with the same open mind you want others to keep when listening to yours. Respect people’s beliefs and opinions, they’re entitled to them just as much as you are. Be prepared to walk away from a debate without there being a clear winner. If all parties held their ground without resorting to nastiness, then hopefully everyone learned something.
Then everyone wins.