The work required to hold an opinion

(Click on the title of the post to read the entire post.)

We are currently in the thick of things in a vast sinkhole of political nonsense and division.  This points to a few truths that we MUST know if we are to live a good life.  It's not about the politics, but it is about our thinking and our non-thinking...


"QUICK THINKING" AND ITS USE

It served us well as primitive cavemen to form opinions quickly, for if we did not we would end up an animal's lunch.

However, what serves that purpose does not serve the purpose of forming an opinion that serves our lives over the long term.  Indeed, we spend much of our lives being run by outdated, obsolete impulses and instincts that, of course, do not serve us for our higher needs.  We are beyond just surviving and fighting off threats, for we have virtually no real threats.  (A "real" threat is one to life and limb, not a theoretical one to our ego, self confidence, or of getting enough approval.)

You should know "how the brain works" and when to use "slow" thinking and when "fast" thinking is best.  This, in my opinion, is a MUST know.  Read Thinking, Fast And Slow.


THE ULTIMATE TEST OF ANYTHING

The ultimate test of anything is "does it work to get the results we want and need from it?"

With that in mind, we would ask: "What do we need from an opinion?"

Workability.

Is the opinion right or is it wrong, always only in terms of workability? NOT in terms of "political correctness" or "society's" many dysfunctional opinions, which come about from random conclusions of what will protect society and force others to do so..

With that in mind, Charlie Munger (Warren Buffett's incredible business partner) holds to a prescription on the work required to hold an opinion.

It is based on "knowing enough to hold an opinion that will be highly likely to work" (and is as close to the truth as possible).  Just to have an opinion based on an immediate impression or the often fallacious poorly-based emotional reasoning has no value.  [Some people will defend emotional reasoning as being valid, and get highly emotional about it - the belief that emotional reasoning (an oxymoron, is superior since it "comes from their core or heart" - nonsense!  It is a life ruiner to believe and adhere to that belief!]

Thinking they are right and valuable, we love to spout off ("share") our opinions and to even be passionate about them... until we run into someone that says the equivalent of "wait a minute, let's look at this rationally and factually" - and then we're off to the races of defending our opinion.  We even get angry, irritated, frustrated, and hostile in doing so.  (It has ruined many a relationship! Needlessly!)


IT IS FALSE TO HOLD IT AS PART OF OUR "IDENTITY"

We do this "emotional reactivity" because we are in the false delusion that our opinion is a part of us, and therefore we must defend it as if our very survival is threatened.  

Nonsense!!!  

An opinion is something we "have" and if we "have" something we cannot, at the same time, be that thing...  See Who I Really Am - Don't Get Confused With What You Have Or What You Believe. You MUST know this fact if you are to live life realistically and effectively!!!

An "opinion" is merely defined as "a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge".  Often, it is only a "brain fart", popping out with no thought other than a primitive mind's impression.  If that is true then the opinion has no value and no worth since it is possibly not true and not workable - it is only a poorly thought out theory.  But we often present it as if it is "fact" - and then based on our belief that it is a fact that we base our thinking on, we seek to avoid vulnerability to "conflicting evidence", often ignoring it or denying it.  

We seek only confirming evidence, as a defense only, for surely it is a foolish thing to do if we are interested in the truth and in "what works"!.


ATTACK/DEFEND!

We apply only primitive (fear-based) attack/defend strategies, making the other people in the other "tribe" (political party, religion, race, nation,opposing sports team, etc.) wrong or bad or evil or dangerous.  Just look at politics and the narrow-minded classification of other people who are probably reasonably smart as being bad or stupid, often saying "they're all the same!"  If we do that, however, we are perfect examples of the height of prejudice, while we are railing against how "those people" are so prejudiced!!!!


CONSIDER DUMPING THE NON-TRUTHS

Let's face it.  An opinion with no sound factual, rational basis is almost surely worthless and, if "shared", is harmful, as it displaces the truth or can lead someone else astray or confirm their unsound beliefs that agree with another's unsound beliefs - like the blind leading the blind...  

The wise man, it is said, is one who knows when he has an opinion that is not proven to be fact, so he recognizes it and treats it only as a viewpoint but not the truth!!!!!  He spends no energy, if he actually fails to not share it, defending it - and he certainly does not think that a figment of his imagination is a permanent part of him, to defend as if his life is dependent upon it!

Sometimes, it is useful, if we are seeking to make progress, to express an opinion, but only if it is presented as a possible theory to examine to see if it contributes to coming to what is a useful truth.

If something is expressed for no good purpose and for no progress, it is just a complaint (if it is about how awful something or someone is), a useless uttering, a posturing of no value, a seeking to validate one's ego.

Someone who thinks his unthought out opinions are worthwhile enough to express is simply "smoking grass", stuck in the ego of it all.   And, remember, the expression of such non-truths is actually discordant and harmful, not just some harmless prattering of nothingnesses of no meaning if it contains anything negative or it pushes aside what is actually truth.

Intelligent thinking means that we are diligent in our efforts to only think and speak what is determined to be accurate, objective truth - and for good purpose, as it will transform one's life!


UNDERSTAND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT

So, let's return to Munger's opinion of the work required to hold an opinion.  Simply put it is "to understand the opposite side of the argument better than the person holding that side does."  (And to not let the primitive, unthinking mind prevail, as if stuck in the limited mode of thinking in a life 10,000 years ago!).  

And, then, even, it is important that you understand that the opinion you arrive at, unless perfected to the truth, is only a theory or a way of looking at things - it still is not the truth.

You are not "right", you are only "he who does the thinking" (or not).  The opinion, not you, is what is right or wrong.

But you do not serve yourself or others by expressing or keeping what is not "right" (workable truth) in your mind or to others.  (It is a garbage belief, promulgated in much pscyho-babble circles, that "one must express oneself" as if it didn't matter what was coming out of one's mouth - but it has been proven that this is nonsense. One need not barf out everything, but only "express" oneself by living a good life that is true to one's self.)


THE GOLDEN RULE

The Golden Rule in this case is "Do not dump upon thyself or others a bunch of untruths, for it infects our own mind and the minds of others."  Do not just dump whatever is on your mind out into the air, for it serves no one!!!!!!  

(This corresponds to the old, simpler rule: "Do not dump garbage into your neighbor's yard.")

_________________________


WHAT TO LEARN THAT LIES UNDERNEATH ALL OF LIFE

It is most essential, in my opinion, that people learn not to continue the distorted thinking that we will automatically tend to engage in if we do not intervene in our own thoughts.  I recommend you read, study, digest, and implement in your life for the remainder of your life the sound practices recommended in The Believing Brain.  You MUST, in my opinion, stop believing the nonsense that we are prone to believe - and to engage in the process of examining beliefs for their truth or untruth and then determine what is true and can be used in life to create the good results we want. (Please, don't just read the book to the level of just "knowing about it" - take it to the level of digesting it and implementing it completely, for it will transform your life if you do this!)

Indeed, even Socrates has something to say about this: "The unexamined life is not worth living."  That just means your life "will suck if you keep operating off of your bad beliefs!"  Duh!  (Read The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living - Why?.)

If you do the examining and the correcting and the replacing with truth, you will gain "life wisdom" that will lead you to true happiness.  If you don't do that, then neither chance nor luck will cause you to be happy - the more bad beliefs left uncorrected, the more impossible it will be to have the great life you are capable of!!!!