Borrowed Opinions

In today’s world, it’s easier than ever to have an opinion.

Humans are social animals, and we feel most comfortable siding with the majority. Before we had social media or the internet, it was much more difficult to figure out if the masses agreed with you and whether the opinion you held was deemed “socially acceptable” at the time simply because we were exposed to so few around us. It was much more difficult to “borrow” an opinion from the masses as well. Today, people can wake up thinking they need to have an opinion about XYZ that’s trending, go online, read some comments, identify the dominant narrative, and side with it.

Having this newfound opinion feels good. It makes us feel as if we are siding with something greater than ourselves, that we are a part of a movement and we stand with the “cool, enlightened folks” who will shape tomorrow. Perhaps, it’s the silent hand of the media growing up that taught us in subtle ways to always side with those who seem “revolutionary” and to side with heavily emotion-driven narratives. The men in suits are so often cast as evil; we learn to romanticise villains; we are taught simple implications i.e. X+Y->BAD! because that makes movies easier to understand. Nuance is far too often thrown out of the window because complicated plots don’t sell well and consumers are not satisfied with an indefinite outcome.

It’s much easier today than it was before the internet to identify with communities/groups who are riding the wave of popularity, side with them, and then feel as if we are part of a greater cause. It boosts the ego, makes us feel important, and gives us a rush of adrenaline. But it’s crucial to remember that much of the internet is guided by the ubiquitous hand of algorithms finely tuned to prey on your emotions and keep your attention — even if that means deviating you from a balanced view. It’s important for impressionable young folks eager to feel like they belong in a community, to learn when they are being used for their naivety and recklessness.

I think it’s fair to say that no one is truly altruistic. It just depends on whether what benefits you, benefits them as well. This could be as innocent as a mother’s love for a child, where seeing the child happy makes her happy. If every motive counts as self-interest, this can’t be proven wrong, so I hold it as a useful lens rather than a proven fact. Or it can be as insidious as opportunists who weaponise that very hunger for belonging. When someone hands you a neatly packaged enemy and an easy banner to march behind, it could very well be that they couldn’t care less about the narrative that they are pushing. But it nonetheless serves as a very good tool to control the minds of crowds to do their bidding.

All you are rewarded with is a cheap dose of misguided moral superiority.

Emotions aren’t bad. They guide us toward what matters, but they are not the truth. Notice when you’re being fed a simplified narrative for clicks and outrage, lest you be played for a fool.