Having your opinion doesn't make you smart, stupid, or a rebel

But having it, backed up by facts, keeps you sober in a world that often prefers emotions over truth. Your opinion is not just “I think so; you are stupid.”

The general opinion is convenient. When most people believe something, it is easy to join in. After all—“so many people can’t be wrong,” right? But it is not always true. Manipulation works when it seems like “general agreement.”

Your opinion should be based on facts, not emotions or the crowd. But history is full of examples when “everyone” was wrong. These are just a few of my simple observations. Many people express their opinion about the Green Deal. Many people support it, and many are against it. It's a matter of personal preference. However, the most intriguing aspect is that those who installed air conditioning now dislike this deal. The unpleasant smell from the stove is gone, but the price of electricity has increased. However, when they go out on the balcony and smell coal from the neighbors' chimneys, they use their most flowery epithets to say that the heating system pollutes the environment. What is the conclusion? Everyone is right from their perspective, interests, and finances. In my opinion, it is too early to blame either side because we are still in the development stage and do not yet have a final solution to the problem. The most heated and controversial opinions are political. The world is divided into several opinions, and everyone is looking for arguments to refute the theses of others. In 1996, I was in a hospital room with two quite elderly people. They were arguing so loudly about the Marxist and democratic forms of government. One was the son of the first mayor of the regional city since 1944. The other had received restitution properties after 1990. I was 26 years old. By the age of 20, I had seen the Marxist system and then several democratic elections. They turned to me to support one of their theses: which one was better? So I decided to answer them in my own way.

-A plowman was plowing his field with his ox. But at one point he got worn out and decided to rest under the tree. He had placed his pitcher and bag of bread there to eat. He closed his eyes for a few minutes to take a nap. During this time, the ox ate the bread and accidentally knocked over the jug of water. I have no idea if the ox managed to eat. I wonder if the ox quenched his thirst with the water that spilled on the ground. But the plowman was left hungry and thirsty for me. This is my opinion of the Martian form of government. "You draw your own conclusions," I told them. I did not inform them that my reference to eating the bread was meant to signify nationalization. Breaking the pitcher symbolized the destruction of one's own entrepreneurial dreams.

We assume that, in a democratic form, you have a choice. Let's assume that you are at a racetrack where horses are racing and you bet on who will win. Today, one horse wins. The next time, another horse emerges victorious. You keep betting, but even if your horse wins, you are dissatisfied with the bet that brings you profit. This profit that you generate from the bet is not enough to cover your needs. Even if we assume that it covers your needs, your desires increase. Regardless of whether you are satisfied or not, the racetrack that organizes the races is always profitable. Even if the racetrack organizers do not own all the horses, they still profit from the races. Behind every horse is an owner, just as behind every political party are sponsors. The horse actually runs for the owner. This means that politics pursues the interests of its sponsors. Who are the sponsors? Those who need to earn even more, and politicians who need to receive flowery words for the little they can steal or receive as a bribe. For large countries, this arrangement is valid. Larger nations treat small countries like mere toys. In a one-man government, individuals must accept the situation and refrain from speaking out against the system; they can only do what is permitted. People often go from one politician to another, often unaware that they are being exploited. 

I'll skip the details.

After my statement to them, I was discharged from the hospital after two hours. And I had to stay at least another 24 hours. Then I found out that the hospital manager was replaced in a month. Currently, with the exception of North Korea, entrepreneurship is allowed in all countries. This situation applies to all forms of government, be they monarchy, dictatorship, or democracy. But you have to obey their laws. But people still argue about these forms of government based on emotion and not on facts. Many people mention some small countries as an example of a way of life. They don't even assume that there are more rules there. The difference is that the control bodies are impartial and fulfill their duties. In addition, the citizens there try to be conscientious. People basically confuse freedom with peace. Freedom is conditional and only lasts for brief moments. Since societies appeared, there have been rules and obligations. And this word, "democracy," is not a guarantee of justice but a correction mechanism. It does not promise beneficial results, but the possibility of change without violence. According to Kant, “When justice disappears, nothing remains that could provide value to the lives of others.” So when a just form of government will appear, I cannot judge; relying on history, it will be later than the coming centuries. 

Freedom of speech is a big factor. In the first months of 2025, a post on Musk's platform, X, claimed to be the most free for expressing opinions and stated that he would make Mars a place to live. I wrote a comment. Half the world still lives without clean drinking water. Over a billion people probably go to bed half-starved or hungry. We set out to fix Mars. After this comment, I didn't receive my access code to the platform. I don't believe he personally ordered it; I assume the platform's algorithm was responsible. But since it was officially renamed X, the platform is something like Albanian television during communism (I haven't been to Albania, but I've read). With seven letters in a month, I managed to receive the code on time and log back into my profile. A few months ago, on his post that all foreigners should leave America, I responded to him with an ironic comment. Finally, the Indians have a chance to rid themselves of the gold diggers. Thereafter, my posts reach a maximum of 20 people. Most of my quotes get five impressions (I guess these are some of his chatbots). If someone else had told me this, I might not have believed them. But the facts are real.

Forming an opinion today is like shopping in a supermarket during a famine: if we haven't prepared a list (the facts), the emotion of hunger makes us buy everything that looks attractive at first glance, instead of what is actually valuable and healthy for us. 

Author: Sezgin Ismailov