‘I am entitled to my opinion:’ a response you should never use

While social media can be a potent tool to educate and influence people with objectiveness, not everyone was born to accept factual points. Some discredit legitimate sources and slap people with the infamous fallacy, “I am entitled to my opinion.”

Nowadays, we can express our opinions on whatever platform we prefer. It’s a piece of cake to share our views with a wide range of audiences. With just a click, everyone could pull strings and be a mind-shaper.

Furthermore, some of us assume that opinion accords to one’s personal belief and judgment; thus, it is subjective.

But, even if you are not yet ready for this conversation, let me tell you this. Serving the “I am entitled to my opinion” card to the table is nothing but void.

Preference is not an opinion

If you’re on a boat filled with people who believe that preference is just the same as opinion — honey, you better wake up and plunge yourself into the sea of actuality. They are different.

Referring to its denotations, preference is the power or opportunity of choosing. On the other hand, opinion is defined as a notion or conviction founded on probable evidence.

Imagine if we are all entitled to our opinion, no one has the right to restrict people from expressing everything they want to share.

No one can prohibit from claiming that drinking alcohol can protect people against COVID-19, even though the World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out countless times that it’s just a myth and could increase the risk of health problems.

We have our own tastes in most random things, may it be on clothing style, television series, and even a fast-food menu. But for an instance, if the future of our country is already at stake within our pulse, it would be too harsh to let it slide.

Take note that it’s not just a matter of preferences anymore, we’re already talking about our social responsibility.

Try a little tenderness

For some of us, accepting criticisms is a hard pill to swallow. We often see it challenging to interact with people who disagree with our viewpoints. All we see is a red flag waving at us.

However, we should put an end to this notion. Take a step to open ourselves to a fruitful and civil discussion. Perhaps try a little tenderness in conversing with others.

As we talked about, there are diverse perspectives — may it be on the show business, social issues, or political spectrum. Despite the divisiveness, we should normalize educating other people, and at the same time, accepting critical thoughts.

Let’s disregard the gesture of expressing emotion-based opinions. We must practice solidifying our views with evidence derived from credible sources before engaging in a conversation.

Remember, an opinion without a basis is null.

Changing your view doesn’t make you a sinner

Let me spit this for once: it’s valid to shift or re-shape our view. There’s nothing wrong with changing perspectives, especially if you know that you’re on the right track.

At the end of the day, it’s preferable to embrace a better version of yourself, than to add insult to injury.

How about you? Are you entitled to your opinion?