Opinions — everyone has one. They are an essential thing to being a human being, yet sometimes they seem to get in the way of us making friends and other connections just because someone doesn’t agree with our own, or that we don’t agree with the other person’s opinion. It is extremely important to realize that the world is not black and white, it is several shades of gray. We must come to the realization that not every opinion is going to match ours to its entirety, and some might not even agree completely, but that is justifiable. Listening to an opinion to gain knowledge of it is essential, but one must not silence it, or decide someone else’s opinion for them either. Silencing someone’s opinion robs people with the same opinion and does a disservice for those who disagree. It does not allow people to think for themselves, which is something we should all have a right to; thinking for oneself and thinking “outside of the box” brings about creativity, and promotes a higher level of thinking and no one should be able to silence that. Feel free to share your opinion, but be open-minded to others’ opinions as well. It is okay if you don’t agree with it, but try to be respectful in hearing what the other side has to say.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Towson chapter.