There is a strange epidemic sweeping across drawing rooms, coffee shops, family lunches, office corridors, and unfortunately, even national television studios. It is called Opinion Diarrhoea. The uncontrollable urge to give one’s opinion on everything under the sun, moon, stars, and possibly on things happening in galaxies we have never heard of.
You meet such people everywhere. They do not greet you with ‘Good morning’ or ‘How are you.’ They greet you with opinions.
And the most fascinating part is not that they have opinions. Everyone has opinions. The fascinating part is that they have no intention whatsoever of hearing yours.
You attempt a gentle, polite, civilised sentence like, I see your point, but maybe another way of looking at it is… And before you can finish the sentence, they have already shifted to another topic.
Education system. Opinion. Traffic problem. Opinion. Corruption. Opinion. Weather forecast. Opinion.
It is verbal bulldozing. No horns, no brakes, no indicators. Only acceleration.
This behaviour has now proudly graduated from living rooms to Parliament. Members rise not to listen, but to talk. They speak not to understand, but to dominate. The goal is not dialogue. The goal is decibel level. Whoever shouts longer is assumed to be wiser. Whoever listens is suspected to be weak.
Democracy, unfortunately, is not built on throat strength. It is built on listening.
But listening is hard work. Giving opinions is easy. Listening requires humility. Opinions require only oxygen.
People who never listen are like drivers who have disabled their brakes because they enjoy speed. Passersby are waving frantically. Road ahead collapsed. Bridge broken. Giant pit waiting. But the driver smiles confidently and says, I have an opinion about this road. And continues driving.
Such people eventually fall into their own potholes.
In ordinary social circles, the result is even more tragic. They become bores.
You see them walking towards you at a party and instinctively look at your phone. You suddenly remember an urgent imaginary call. You develop a deep interest in the potted plant behind you. You consider going to refill your water glass even though it is already full.
Because you know what is coming.
A monologue disguised as conversation.
Somewhere along the way, though they were taught how to express ourselves, they were never taught how to shut up gracefully.
Perhaps schools should introduce a new subject. Listening. Practical exam included. Student must remain silent for five minutes while another student speaks and still look interested.
Imagine the transformation.
So the next time you feel the urge to give your opinion on everything, pause. Take a breath. Ask a question instead. Hear an answer. You may discover something shocking.
You may discover that you are not always right.
And that discovery, inconvenient as it is, might just save you from driving confidently into a collapsed road…!
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