As I hit the keyboard once again, I am asking myself a very important question. I have been doing this for over fourteen years. What right do I have to interject my thoughts on so many people? Who the hell do I think I am to wax poetically about this or that? It is really just my opinion. 

There are so many learned people out there. They have studied philosophy, the sciences, and the arts. They have a lot of knowledge under their belt. They have written dissertations, given speeches, and been interviewed by all sorts of media. These dudes and dudettes really know what they are talking about or do they? 

I always put factoids into my missives. I try to cross-reference them a couple of times because you know how fast and loose people play with the facts today. There are two I use when something seems particularly outlandish. One is Snopes and the other is factcheck.org. Not infallible but they give one the confidence I am employing some sort of due diligence. I try not to get too crazy. 

It becomes habit-forming. To the chagrin of many I speak out on things that I think are wrong. I like to point out what I think are train wrecks about to happen. It is not really complaining but just speaking my mind. To a fault, I am not a diplomat. I just hope my argument wins you over even if my demeanor sucks. Of course, there is a better way to schmooze and convince. I just write it off as one of my many tragic flaws. But I do my homework.

There are so many ways to solve a problem. Mine is just one of many. When someone just rattles off a party line I wonder how much of their belief is just regurgitating some sort of pablum or have they really thought about it? Our thinking is the result of months and years that pass while dealing with a concept. God, Immigration, abortion, poverty, LGBQT, Communism, War. I could go on and on. I guess one can say it sets up their version of morality or even reality for a start. 

I spend a lot of time thinking. It is what gets my juices going. I love to read columns of all sorts. Guys like Brooks, Friedman, and Zeihan are fun to read and listen to. Not to be sympatico, but to just hear what they have to say. I like to read reports from the front lines, whether it is a war zone or a demonstration. A market analysis or a theory on psychology. It probably fills my little brain with too many ideas but I rarely consider that to be the God blessed truth. It is someone’s opinion or interpretation.

This does not always win me friends or associates. People do not like to have their beliefs and theories put into question. I am not so much challenging them as to whether they are right or wrong, but in the tiniest way, ask if could their input be flawed? I question all sorts of my thinking after a good conversation. And I do adjust. Not wide u turns but gentle nudges one way or another. For me, that is healthy. 

In the winter here in Flalaland, I go to Bible study on Tuesday mornings at 7:30. I had never gone to anything of this sort before then. We were led by a very cool minister who put everyone at ease. There are 20 or so guys that do so. We are encouraged to speak our minds, and it is fascinating how many do so. That’s right, ladies,sluggo guys baring their souls and nothing more, thank God. And we all walk out of there feeling something. Maybe religious, but maybe even more just being alive. Neat stuff. 

I am pissed off at our discourse today.

We want to shut down any contrary thinking. The debacle of the Big Beautiful Bill was disheartening. Not because of what was in it, but because so few spoke what was on their mind. To succumb to threats on both sides of the aisle was embarrassing. Fall in line and shut up, or I will destroy you. Is this where we are? We can shake our heads, but don’t we do the same things in our own lives? Equivocating is so easy. 

Opinion is: a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. Ironically opinionated is: conceitedly assertive and dogmatic in one’s opinions. We are all so quick to fall under the banner of this or that political view. We are convinced the leader is all-knowing. Read through the precepts. Are we all truly left or right?

Just think about this, kids. None of us has all the right answers. There are flaws in every argument and we would be fools to ourselves if we didn’t admit it. Don’t hide behind resolve as an excuse to not admit our flaws. We can all bend and not break. We can all look at a different side of things. But then again that is just my opinion.

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids

 Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign asked participants to categorize 12 statements about current events as facts or opinions. They found that 45.7 percent could do that correctly no more than half the time.

Examples of facts include “The Earth is round” or “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius”. Examples of opinions include “Chocolate ice cream is the best” or “That movie was boring”. Facts are objective. Opinions are subjective

In the same temperature room, some will feel cold and some will feel hot. Who is right? You will not win that argument with your spouse or significant other.

There are approximately 48,000 news analysts, reporters, and journalists. There are over 100 syndicated columnists. Tell me you have that figured out. 

Pew Research polls thousands of people on a number of topics annually. Interesting stuff. Give it a look