Why is it important to form your own opinions?

[balloongod]

I have a confession.

I'm someone who has never really taken a solid stance on a lot of major issues. Whether it be politics, gun control, or something else, I always find myself somewhere either in the gray area in between, or swaying between the two. (I have a few exceptions.) This frustrates me. It almost feels like that, depending on the time of day, I will lean one way or the other. I'm also much more easily influenced by other peoples' opinions, and while I'm aware of this when I'm hearing what others think, I usually still end up seriously considering their point-of-view.

I don't think it's bad to see where someone else is coming from, however, this trait is extraordinarily maddening to me. I feel like I'm amorphous, but in a shitty way, like I just become more like everyone who I'm around-- the chameleon affect in a negative light, something I can't control. This causes me to feel weak and feeble-minded, and I often don't have much confidence when I speak up on the issues.

I'd like to say I want to form my own opinions because I want to better distinguish my identity, as not to get that blending feeling when I'm around others who feel differently. It's partially true, but that also sounds pretty fucked up, right? What if my opinions really do change? Does that mean my identity does, too? Is my ENFJ showing? Is it just my natural tendency to avoid conflict and promote harmony that is striking down my rational desire to need to form an opinion? Is it better to live without taking hard sides?

What I really mean is, I'm looking for both an emotional and a rational reason why I should form my own opinion and be able to defend it. It's uncomfortable for me to always be in the gray, and I want to believe it's much better to have a solid stance on things-- but why bother? Can you play devils advocate for me, and tell me why it's important to form your own opinions and be able to stand up for them, even if it's only why it's important to you?

I feel like this is becoming a mini-existential crisis and I'm a little worried, so I'll just bow out and hope for some responses. This post makes me sound like a child, and I'm pretty embarrassed about it, but I also just need a platform to get some feedback. I really appreciate any responses you find the time to tack to the thread.

I mean, whatever you say, you're probably just going to convince me anyway...

 

[Agent Washington]

Well, I'm not a lucky person and I've come to realise that the only person I can rely on is myself. If others think I'm a bad person, I'll probably end up reinforcing their views at some point if I don't have some idea of what my values are. Forming a fleshed out world view and a general direction of where opinions kind of go after considering facts is pretty much part and parcel of that.

I've come a long enough way to go "no, that's not how I'll react." It's put me in a better mental place than I was before.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

I'm slow to form opinions on complex social issues. I tend to have working hypotheses, but sometimes not even that. It is really difficult for me to form hard, absolute conclusions. When I do it is typically because there is a lot of analysis, information, and time invested on the subject. Our current culture of snap judgments sometimes makes me feel sick to my stomach.

 

[Mole]

I mean, whatever you say, you're probably just going to convince me anyway.

It is important to form your own opinion about physics, no nonsense about standing on the shoulders of giants, we intuitively know our opinions about physics, and we should feel no inhibition about sharing them with others. In fact having our own opinions about physics not only gives us our identity, it defines us in the eyes of others.

And as we know, we are all entitled to our opinions, we know we are unique snowflakes, we are special individuals, and dare I say, we are special in they eyes of God. And you won't fall in love with a special person unless you are a special person yourself.

And it is important to have a fine opinion of yourself so that others will also have a fine opinion of you.