In My Opinion

"Everyone has a right to my opinion."  So said the white Persian cat wearing granny glasses on the poster in the apartment of a friend.  Funny, yes, but not the sort of thing I would put on my wall, not because I disagree with the idea but because I find the poster itself tacky.  Well, that's my opinion.  Now, why is this my opinion?  Anthropomorphism has always made me gag, especially when it is used for promoting gawd-awful cuteness.  Yes, but why does it make me gag?  Because in my opinion it is unfair to animals.  How, why is it unfair to animals?  I don't know why, I just find it ridiculous, that poster I mean.  What about anthropomorphism? What do you mean by anthropomorphism?  It's a shallow and thoughtless way of exploiting animals by using them to score a point.  Their animal-ness is neither respected nor recognized.  Have you thought of lightening up a bit?  It's only a poster.  Maybe in your opinion.

     And all they are is opinions.  Positions that have little to do with reasoned and well-informed perspectives and much to do with gut-based or emotional reactions.  Opinions then are neither fact nor factually based.  They are unreasoned, instinctive reactions that inform our points of view.  Opinions are like assholes, wrote one famous columnist.  Everybody has one.  And this is what they are worth?  Orifices that excrete foul-smelling waste that has no use to anyone?  This is also the way we develop and nurture our world view, which begins in early childhood.  Does it taste yucky?  Then it's gross.  Is it sweet?  Then it's good.  So, away with the broccoli and Brussels sprouts and bring on the Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs and welcome to statistical childhood obesity and type two diabetes..  And so on.  Even at our most educated we cannot claim complete objectivity about anything.  Our senses, our unconscious, our preferences, upbringing, age, socio-economic status, inherited values, genetics and culture and ethnicity and state of mental and emotional wellness among other causes have a huge influence on our perspectives and often eclipse or severely disable from occurring any informed and honest debate or dialogue on anything from the state of the weather to international and global issues of the utmost gravitas.

     There is also the moral compass.  Everybody has one, or almost everyone, but for the worst sociopaths: an essential primal sense of right and wrong.  A conscience, so to speak, formed by the values instilled by our parents, education, religion, life-experience, culture, era, social class.  These things are not necessarily questioned, as a matter of fact, they tend to occupy so deep a part of our souls that we hardly know they exist.  It is often particularly difficult for our primal or core values to be educated and transformed by new knowledge, wisdom or information.  Especially when we are older.  Unless we are prepared to acquire the humility required to question our values, challenge ourselves and submit to the necessity of growth and change, that is.

     To willingly offer up our most cherished values, perspectives and gut based opinions for scrutiny is perhaps one of the most profound exercises in humility.  To ask ourselves, why does this repulse me, why does this attract me?  Why do I endorse these values?  What makes me a right-leaning social libertarian and fiscal conservative (not me): or a left-leaning fiscal socialist with progressive social values (that's a bit closer to who I am)?  What makes my values progressive?  Or, and this isn't me at all, Why do I hate people on welfare?  But I don't hate them, I only wish they would pull their weight.  Don't tell me they can't pull their weight.  What do you mean they are where they are because they have been knocked down too many times to be able to get up again.  All they need to do is believe in themselves.  Yes, I know my mom and dad were always there for me and they taught me to be responsible and develop a good work ethic and at least I was never beaten or diddled by my father, at least I had a father, and a comfortable home and all kinds of advantages and why don't those welfare bums just go away...What do you mean I hate the poor.  Well, why shouldn't I hate them?  Exterminate them and all useless parasites from off the face of the earth.  (not my opinion, by the way!) And what is wrong with this way of thinking?  Why am we afraid of weakness, helplessness and vulnerability?  Because we have to feel strong in order to succeed.  Because we have to believe this illusion.  Yes, it is an illusion, a lie because really, if we're given enough time to think honestly and completely and work through every one of the lies that we believe about ourselves then we are left feeling stripped to the bone, disarmed, helpless and vulnerable, naked in a snow storm and trust me, my dear readers, that is not a nice place to find oneself in.

     However, how can I learn empathy if I don't question and scrutinize my sense of strength and superiority, if I am not prepared to face the lie on which I have built my illusion of a life?

     I am providing this as an illustration, an example if you will, or even a model for questioning and challenging our opinions, our perspectives, our cherished positions and, yes, for our illusions.  Our minds are incredibly frenetic noise machines that never know when or how to hold still and be quiet unless we approach them with great care, tenacity and diligence and master and train them to obey and come to heel like Rottweiler dogs being leash-trained.  I don't think we can ever really develop for ourselves good and positive core values on which to base our perspectives and points of view without this kind of rigorous training, and I believe that this is the work of a lifetime.  I think that most of us tend to be mentally lazy and really prefer that others do our thinking for us, and this is to our peril.

     Here is another example: I have long held the opinion that there are really too many dogs in Vancouver.  Now, why do I believe this?  Do I dislike dogs?  No.  I neither like nor dislike dogs.  I like certain dogs and I have known and enjoyed the company of some very lovely affectionate canines.  I have had bad experiences with dogs too, having at times been threatened almost to the point of attack, but only twice in my life have I actually been bitten and I do not believe that I have incurred trauma because of this.  So, I am a bit indifferent towards them actually.  Is there a reason for this indifference?  Not really.  I just don't have a strong feeling for dogs one way or the other.  I am neutral towards them.  Generally I respect dogs and out of a healthy sense of self preservation I will not approach or try to pet a dog I do not know.  If the dog is very friendly and approaches me for a pat on the head of course I will respond with love and affection.  So then, why do I feel there are too many dogs in Vancouver?  Well, I don't think they favour much the interest of public sanitation.  Often their owners neglect to pick up their feces and they also pee on everything.  There is a shortage of off leash spaces for dogs to play in and honestly in order to create more such spaces, enough to fill the demand we would have to sacrifice open park space that is already enjoyed by people and families and I am concerned that we need this park space already.  It also troubles me that many dog owners allow their dogs to wander and run off leash.  Why?  Because it is not safe for the dog and sometimes it is safe neither for other dogs or for people.  I have seen this happen many times, for example an off leash dog chasing after a skunk or running into traffic, or attacking another, usually safely leashed dog or sometimes threatening a passerby for reasons known only to the dog itself.  Then there is the dog's well being.  In densely populated neighbourhoods it must be very difficult for the dog to get the exercise and freedom of movement that these animals need in order to thrive, and I think that in many cases the owner transfers onto the dog what he or she really needs from a close human friend, child, spouse or partner.  On the other hand, it has been proven many times over that dogs (and cats) can be often vital to their owners' emotional and psychological well-being.  They make their people feel loved unconditionally and the dog is also an incentive for getting them outside into the community for exercise, fresh air and the opportunity to meet other people.

There are two or more sides to every occasion on which we can form an opinion.  Having thus examined in this manner my opinion that there are too many dogs in Vancouver has done a lot to soften and temper my position.  I still am concerned that there are so many dogs living in a confined and congested urban space.  On the other hand they are generally well cared-for, well controlled and they do wonders for the well-being of their owners, and I think it goes without saying that happy individuals make a healthy community.  Also, who am I really to expect life to unfold on my terms when really I would do better to adapt myself to being unfolded by life itself?

     Opinions therefore can become prisons unless we are ready to question and examine them and allow them to unravel under the focussed and tender microscope of Universal Love.  Somewhere beneath the scaffolding we will find our core selves still under construction, naked, tender and vulnerable, yet in our weakness we are also strong as we move forward in love towards a new and higher sense of self and others and life itself.  Well, that's my opinion anyway.