More on Opinions
Generally people form their opinions by around the age of 16 to 18. It's uncommon for people to substantially change their views after this. Having formed an opinion they will see all arguments through the filter of these opinions. If, for example, you formed a strong opinion that the USA should not have invaded Iraq, all news reports that support this view will serve to confirm this view. On the other hand, if you supported the invasion then you will only listen to reports that confirm this view. Even the same news report can be interpreted in different ways.
There is little in the way of objective thinking, an analysis of the situation and then drawing a conclusion. The conclusion has been made before the facts are even known. I've mentioned before about facts and opinions, but here I want to talk about the polarising effect of this blinkered attitude.
It is unfortunate that in the twenty-first century people give very little consideration for ideas that differ from their own. If ideas are examined it is, more usually than not, simply to find an argument against them. People have, as were, a ruler that they hold up to any viewpoint to measure how the view compares to their own. Sometimes this can reach absurd proportions and by disagreeing on principle with an idea people contradict what they believe are their own ideas. I remember making a comment that was past on to me about the collapse of infrastructure in South African cities. This was to a very left-wing girl who asked me if that came from a white or a black South African. When I said it came from a white person, she launched into an incoherent tirade about how it was the whites losing their pre-eminence and the person obviously resented this. Now besides the fact that judging an idea on whether it came from a white or a black person is racist, the facts were as they were. The interpretation of motives was a different issue.
Unfortunately, we see this all the time. People who claim to support free speech attempt to stop people exercising it when it disagrees with what they say. People who argue for democracy oppose it when the majority oppose their views and so on. There are two traits involved here. Firstly, a rigidity of thinking and secondly, an arrogance that the ends justify the means. People even say 'I know I'm right'. This doesn't make them right, it simply restates their opinion with a false credibility.
