Opinions are easy. We all have them. Too many of us, however, rarely test those opinions and remain reluctant to even consider opinions that conflict with our own.

I’ve come to identify what I believe are the reasons for this reluctance and, often, absolute refusal to accept that our opinion could be wrong.

#1 Pride. We can’t accept that we could be wrong. We’d have to admit it, and that’s just too much for most people. Admitting error requires humility that most folks just don’t possess.

#2 Requirement to change. Most often admitting one is in error requires one to do something about it. Not just admit error, but actually take concrete action to correct/change course. Most folks don’t want to expend the effort.

#3 Sloth. Most people are not willing to commit to the time and effort required to study in order to form correct conclusions. We’re born into a country or family with a particular religion or political leaning and the easy thing is to just adopt it and carry on. Unfortunately, that’s similar to being a sheep or a lemming. Sheep get sheared and slaughtered and lemmings go off a cliff. No thought required.

#4 Lack of curiosity/skepticism. We’ve all (OK, most) realized by now that ‘conspiracy theories’ tend to be conspiracy facts. Those among us that are skeptical of authority or curious about a particular topic tend to recognize these ‘facts’ before the vast majority. This is because we inquire, examine evidence and data, think outside the box, employ critical thinking skills, and connect the dots. Reason and logic play a key role.

One’s opinion is not necessarily truth or reality. Failure to admit this simply demonstrates ignorance, not stupidity, ignorance. Even one possessing a high IQ can be ignorant. It just means one doesn’t ‘know.’

Few of us, today, take the time to go to some quiet place and examine our opinions. That requires thinking and thinking requires effort.