There’s a saying that opinions “are like a**holes – everyone’s got one and they all stink.” While I do not wholeheartedly believe this, it certainly holds some truth, in my opinion (yes, I see the irony here).

What I want to ponder here is, why is it necessary to form an opinion?  Rather, if one is not informed to a sufficient degree on an idea or subject, why do we find it necessary to still form very strong opinions about subjects for which we do not readily have an answer?  We see this the most in politics.

I pose this question, not really in pursuit of an answer, but, rather, for us to consider our own natures.  Many of us, including myself, fall victim to ‘uninformed opinion-forming’ every day. Is it that we have to have an answer, so as to be seen as smart or ‘in the know’?  Is it a knee-jerk reaction to keep us from considering other scenarios or viewpoints that are uncomfortable or foreign to us?  I do not know.

I know, for myself, I grew up in a very conservative environment in my native California (yes, conservatives very much exist in the Golden State).  I was brought up in a strict, evangelical Christian background (if you have seen the movie Saved, you have seen my childhood).  Jesus was good.  So was capitalism and America and all other countries were full of liberal communist hippies who did not fear the Lord.  We pledged allegiance to both the American and Christian flags in our homeroom classes at the Christian high school I attended… you knew where you stood on issues and you were proud of that stance.  You had an identity that was wrapped up in a ‘pure’ ideology, and it was your duty to defend it with all of your might.  You felt secure.

I hate for it to sound like I am taking this out on conservative values, but I just want to give an example from my youth that I am sure some can relate to.  The same is true for other belief systems.  Think of the ardent socialist that won’t have it any other way, or the fanatical love for a dictator, or a Manchester United hooligan.  A secular communist can be more ‘religious’ than a Rabbi, just as a freedom-loving libertarian can be more of a conformist than any member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Many (though not all) of us begin with an ideology that is bred into us by our elders and cultural influences.  For some of us, this rigidity can continue on with us into adulthood, creating what we call zealotry.  For others, experience bends and shapes our identities and beliefs, while allowing other viewpoints to be more readily considered.

Defending an ideology, an opinion, a belief, can be very, very important to a person.  When challenged, it can feel, to some, that they are being challenged at their core – who they identify as – instead of respectfully discussing a topic of interest with them.  Why is this?  Is it the case of, “My Da can’t be wrong!”  Or, “My community, my tradition couldn’t have had it wrong all of those years!” Maybe it is simply too difficult change.

Why is it that we adopt such strong, unwavering identities?

Perhaps it is apathy. Maybe it is a shield against the very unpredictable and frightening world that is out there.  I imagine the answer, the motivation, is different from person to person.

In the age of ‘fake news’ and with propaganda just a click away at all times, where political and religious leaders are, more than ever, revealing to us that they are only human (and sometimes, scarily human), I think the request I am about to make is even more relevant.

Please, do me a favour: DO NOT FORM AN OPINION FOR THE SAKE OF IT!

This may sound harsh, but hear me out.

I am a writer.  I love to write within the social sciences: politics, history, culture, current events.  Anything safely under the umbrella of ‘human affairs’ I am well-educated about and I will happily engage in a fruitful and meaningful conversation with you.  However, if you put me in a chemistry lab or ask me to consult for an engineering firm, you are going to be in big, big trouble. I do not have the expertise or the will to be good at and/or informed about those subjects.  My opinion over those subjects holds no value. It is with humility that we must approach the things we are uninformed about.

Of course, as someone greatly interested and concerned with ‘human affairs’, my ideal world is that everyone would be well-informed and capable of forming strong, educated opinions about relevant subjects.  We need people like this, especially people who are highly-informed and can respectfully disagree with those of equally-informed, yet opposite opinions.  This is the ideal!  However, I am a realist, and I know that we are busy people on a busy planet and do not have the time, energy and, often, the interest to dedicate quality time to all of these things.

Thus, I graciously request that we refrain from opinion-forming and even decision-making, less we are properly informed.  Have your ideology, have your beliefs.  But, please, do not make decisions – especially political decisions that affect all of us – on subjects you are uninformed about.  I wrestle with myself over whether holding deeply-held ideological beliefs is worthwhile at all, ever. However, part of me still feels this is a step too far. Keep your agendas, but do not ‘sink the ship’ with them, especially if I am on it!

And this relates particularly to Northern Ireland. We are all aware that we are headed towards uncertain times. Brexit is on the horizon and we all know the constitutional question is boiling hotter than at any other point since end of ‘The Troubles’. We have already seen the political and social destruction, if not the potential breakup of the entire UK, due to the uninformed, xenophobic and ideological decisions made in the 2016 referendum. Do we want more of this?

I thought we formed opinions to battle uncertainty, not create more of it.

My request is simple: please do not cast a vote or influence Northern Ireland’s future based on ignorance. Inform yourselves. Inform yourselves of the unionist side. Inform yourselves of the nationalist side. Inform yourselves of the practicalities of either decision. Speak to a Loyalist. Sit down to lunch with a business owner and a factory worker. Ask an MP and a TD how they intend to, practically, address Northern Ireland’s future.

If you can feel confident in explaining the viewpoint of the other side, I would say you have crossed the threshold of when an opinion ceases to stink. If society can get to that point, I think the future is bright, no matter what country we are in.