We all have them. We all want to think that ours are the best or the only right ones, but really? Do any of us REALLY know if what we think is right actually is right? Of course not! I feel a mixture of amusement and irritation at Facebook friends or people in the news or even my own family when they so doggedly spout their own opinions, and then point the finger at someone with a differing point of view and say "They are biased."
No kidding. They are biased. So are you. So am I. We all look at the world through a filter of our own experiences layered on top of the indoctrination we received from our families as we grew up. None of us has an opinion that hasn't been influenced at some point by someone else's bias. Teenagers would probably be shocked and offended to realize how much of what they have to say is simply a regurgitation of Mom or Dad or a favorite teacher....restated in their own, different words, of course.
So our job as adults is to analyze our opinions and be aware of our filters. To think about who and what those influences are on our opinions, and consider whether we believe something simply because we want to. I think many of us hold beliefs because they make us feel better about ourselves in some way without combing through the truth. (Is it easier to believe that one is out of work because those darned Mexicans are taking all the jobs...or because one refuses to clean toilets, which is the job a high school dropout qualifies for? )
I know, I know. I'm being radical. Suggesting we think, and acknowledge our own failings, and be self-aware, and quit blaming. That's my opinion.
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