What Do You Have Way too Much Of?

What do you have way too much of?

Opinions. I have way too much of them. Over the years I have tried to not share them with everyone. This is difficult for me. That is what I should have answered to yesterday’s prompt. Other people hold their tongue and make it look easy. Or it is possible they do not have opinions?

I try to have informed opinions. However, informed by what is the question. Sometimes it is informed by research and sometimes by experience or gut. I often will research a topic, especially political in nature.

Yesterday I saw the following on Facebook. “My life isn’t better, how is your life better over the three years.” The question was directed at the Biden administration. This question was posted by a person enjoying a spring break vacation in France.

I have an opinion that goes like this: “You are coming from a place of privilege if you can afford to go to France. There are more people working and the economy is growing stronger, affording opportunity to people who are socio-economically disadvantaged. If you are in France for a week, you may find your dollar does not go as far as you would like. However, you have dollars to spend on something other than food and shelter.” “Can we do better with our economy? Of course we can. It is going to mean raising taxes on the top 2% of the wealthy in this country. Or getting the wealthy who are delinquent with their tax bills to pay them. Enforcement costs money.”

Wait, the topic is that do I have way too much of…

Opinions.

In my mind having an opinion requires responsibility. A responsibility to inform ourselves. We may not agree on a topic; however, we also do not get to name call or put the other person down because they have a different opinion. Even if we think their opinion in uniformed. They may have done research and with the same set of facts came to a different conclusion. We should be able to have a civil discussion.

Opinions are not facts though.

I like to bolster my opinion with facts. Why? Mostly a fear of appearing uniformed. And sometimes I can read all the facts and not necessarily come to the same conclusion as another person because my opinion is colored by my own belief system and experience. I recognize that and try to examine my own biases. I also try to give myself and others grace if their opinion is supported by facts.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion – and I am entitled to challenge it if there are no facts to support their opinion.

What do you have way too much of?