An Opinion on Opinions and Those Who Share Them
Expect more from those vying for your attention.
It can be difficult at times getting behind many of the talking heads and boisterous opinions I see or read on the plethora of social media sites, including Substack. Despite agreeing with much of what some may say at times, I find the delivery of the message nearly as disagreeable as the opinions and beliefs which they criticize and stand against. This is not just a quibble with approaches, it begs the genuine questioning of the motive and objective of these authors. Do they want things to change or are they more interested in attention?
The world today exists suspended in a perpetual fight. This battle, or war, of one opinion, belief, ideology, or stance over another increases daily; and it is done at the expense, not for the betterment of, the people reading, listening, and viewing. At the head of each of these armies are their loud, exclamatory, and borderline vampiric champions. They are on social media, broadcast news, podcasts, YouTube videos, bloggers, etc., and they all tell a story from a perspective which their side can rally behind. These platforms, promoters, and authors may not create the sides that exist, but they most certainly do everything they can to increase their support and drive that divide between them and others as wide as possible. They rarely if ever do things to decrease tensions or resolve issues. It is against their interests to do so. Instead, the greater the hostilities, the more divisive the teams, the greater the attention. We live in a global battlefield, and every cause or team or belief faces their own crusade. It is not enough to live as you want and choose. There must be a victorious and a vanquished party.
Having strong opinions is fine in itself. I fall into this category. This does not mean mine or yours or anyone else’s are better for another person. Like others, mine are designed around my principles and values. They are built around what I hold dear and what I deem important. Some opinions are minor in nature. They don’t rile anyone up or cause feathers to be ruffled. But others, like opinions that concern cases of morality and what we view as right or wrong, do. These opinions and beliefs are harder to reconcile with contrary ones. They can bring out the best, but they can also bring out the worst in people. They spur an intensity in rhetoric and debate. Everything becomes more heated and polarized. The teams that are formed grow and seek every advantage available: money, politics, influencers, etc. Like a moth to the flame, the greater the opportunity for fame, power, or money, the greater the competition there is amongst the people attempting to influence. There is no doubt that many of these people care about what they preach, but I have seen very few who are not at least partially self-seeking.
I believe in what I feel to be right and wrong, and I will defend those beliefs, attempt to convince others of their merit, and hopefully make a positive impact in the world. I admire those who stand for things, who feel passionately about causes that concern more than themselves, who are self-sacrificing and feel the compulsion to use their time here to make the world a better place. I admire and honor each of them.
But as I scroll, I cannot help but feel that so many of those with equally strong opinions and convictions make it more about themselves than the cause they champion. It is a show, a spectacle. Each one standing on their soap box trying to talk over the other. Each one growing louder, more animated, and more passionate than the next. I have grown tired of the “talking heads” and the untempered writings of others. Inspire thought and encourage growth, but do not spoon feed the hungry masses the poison you carry passing it off as food. Too many sit there with their mouths open ready to swallow whatever is agreeable to their perspective. How irresponsible of them for not questioning what is given them, and how reckless of those who unhesitatingly allow it to be taken in. Give the people real nourishment. Make them work for it. Make them want to be better. Encourage them to think and learn, not nod and repeat.
We can share our thoughts and opinions and theories and hopes and dreams with the world on an unprecedented scale. This is an amazing thing. But there is a genuine and real concern today that in the process of sharing we gain in quantity while we lose in quality. Positive, productive and thought-provoking messages lose out to animated, toxic, and divisive diatribes. The cacophony of voices is more competitive than collaborative. And this competition does not raise the quality in any way. It bastardizes and cheapens it. I understand the people are angry. So am I. I understand they want things to change. So do I. I understand they feel like they are in a battle and must rile the troops to defeat the enemy. I get it and I can relate.
But at what point do we question this approach? When do we begin questioning the old method of energizing the townsfolk to grab their pitchforks and form a mob? Why not galvanize them instead, pushing them to be better not just demand better?
As much as I want to support some of the people and publications I run across, I can’t help but see some of their approaches as anything but inflammatory. Their ideas and causes may be spot on, but their approaches push me away. This approach does not grow support among the masses; it incites the mob. The argument will be that we need to excite people and instill them with passion. I do not disagree.
This approach makes sense. There is a fight for supporters out there and if one side wins, another loses. We cannot accept our side losing, can we? The other side feels the exact same way. Fighting fire with fire may be the most practiced approach when it comes to facing the pressing challenges we see today, but that does not mean that it is the best or most effective. It amps up the fighting, rhetoric, and tensions, and it may even increase the number of supporters, likes, and followers, but it is still destructive in nature.
It is too simplistic to equate a bombastic approach by a fiery, passionate orator with inspiring people to rally around a cause and be a part of change. To my knowledge, there are no long-lasting examples of this approach working. It is precisely because there is competition for the limelight and control of the narrative that this approach fails. Those at the top are shuffled continually, creating a perpetual rotation of “influencers” attempting to enlighten and engage. People become burned out or turned off, and even more short-sighted and narrowly focused than they already are. Little by little, they turn inward; and as their cynicism grows, their hope disappears.
Do we need more destruction today, or do we need constructive, collaborative, and positive forces? We all have our own propaganda that we want to reach the greatest audience. We all want to be heard, but is being heard worth cheapening the message and resorting to tactics that destroy and bring people down to the basest level? Shouldn’t we encourage them to be better and rise above mediocrity?
Do not just be the voice of passion. Be the voice of compassion. Be the voice of change. Be the voice of growth. Be the voice of wisdom. Any fool can act rashly, but wisdom requires patience and thought. It is difficult and takes work; two things far more satisfying and rewarding than the alternative approach. This is not what we see today. We give people information instead of encouraging them to attain knowledge. We tell them to rise up and act instead of encouraging them to think and question. We do not seek to improve, we see to win, to conquer, to rule. This is a losing approach. And so long as we take this failed approach we will continue to have the faces of our causes be the selfish champions that we see today instead of the inspired, educated, and compassionate masses that we need for lasting change to occur.
To you readers and viewers scrolling through the weeds: expect more from those out there vying for your attention and support. Make them be better as well. Make them work for your respect.