Philo Blog: Give up your opinion

“My diary of Philosophical insight”

The truth of opinion

Tuesday. My most dear EUREKA moment just informed about the following:

“All opinion.. is bullshit and… the real truth is… beyond opinion”

How? I said. Well, consider this question:. “What is your opinion on the subject”. Choose any subject. Politics, sexual orientation, food.  Free health care? Hmm? What is your opinion on those?

Then you notice, “Either you have an opinion, or you don’t. “

Sometimes, when you don’t have an opinion, you hurry to create one in order to join the conversation. You don’t want to feel stupid. Other times, when you do have an opinion, you bring it on. You identify yourself with the opinion, and you protect it. You protect it as you would protect your flesh from a knife. You start arguing, and it hurts. But, sometimes, you have an opinion, and you don’t want to fight for it. That is a good sign. If you do not need to defend your opinion, it means that you are closer to the truth.

And the truth is: “All opinion is bullshit.  The stronger the opinion, the bigger the bullshit”

Let’s say for example that you are a person A, and you believe that 2+2=4. And I am a person B, and I say that 2+2= 5. And you say, no, it’s 4. I say 5!!  .So?  How long will you argue to defend 2+2=4. It clear to to you that, you are sitting in a room with an idiot that insists on some bullshit, and.. . when you recognize an idiot, what do you do ? You stop arguing. An idiot is just going to pull a knife on you. So, you just nod, and say “Ok… dude.. Whatever!”.

So, what happened with opinion? Well, you realized that:  “2+2=5” is an opinion, while “2+2=4” is not an opinion. The reason that “2+2=4”is not an opinion, is because you have no doubt about it. You are “almost” sure of it. An every time you are sure of something… well, then you feel in ballance.

Now, 2+2 is a simple question. Advance it just a little bit, and you will realize that you are surrounded by idiots. Like, every time you hear a debate, with two sides having opinions. They are both wrong. Even more, the side that screams their opinion the loudest, is more wrong. You see, when you realize the truth, you don’t have to argue anymore. You never feel the need to argue for the truth. And when you don’t argue for something, well then, it is not an opinion anymore.

Now, I would like to identify 2 types of debates:

the material ones, and the intellectual ones. They are both bullshit.

In general, the basis for every material debate is the following:  “My person is more valuable to this world than your person,  that is why I should get to eat more pancakes than you“. Well, that’s bullshit. That’s bullshit because, very soon, we’re both going to die, and me being more valuable then you to this world, is approximately equal to zero.

On the other hand, the basis of every intellectual debate is the problem of language. You see, our tools of communication, the language of words, is insufficient to explain the advanced truths. The real truth is beyond words. Unfortunately, linguistics is the only tool we have to approach advanced matters, and words, they can show us only the shadow of the truth, not the real truth. Consider the earlier made statement “2+2=4”. Now, that statement is not true. It is the relative shadow the true. You imagine words and sounds, and you visualize apples in a basket, to make a calculation. More advanced mind than ours would have much more direct understanding of it. A computer does. But, then again, a computer does not have an opinion.

Well, the shadow of truth is obviously sufficient enough for us to cope with, so we do. It’s cool. But as a rule, every time you engage in an intellectual debate, know that you are wrong, and if you are right, just.. Shut up! And you will be even more right.

So, waffles or pancakes? Well, in my opinion, we should have pancakes today. NO, NO!! WE SHOULD HAVE WAFFLES. No way, I’m eating waffles, it’s going to be pancakes, and that’s it, no more discussion. No, no, no! Waffles, pancakes….  waffles!….. Yes,  It’s a bullshit discussion. The truth of the pancakes and waffles discussion, relies on simple hidden detail: “how much sugar and butter you’ve had inside”. The final shape of your sugar and butter, is really not important. So, whatever dude. You decide.

So then, why do we need opinions?

We need opinions in order to avoid thinking. You see, nobody likes thinkers. Thinkers are stinkers. Thinking may get you in trouble. Thinking is “talking to yourself”. People who talk to themselves are crazy. So, whatever you do, just don’t go “thinking”. Have opinions! Be an idiot.

Since we just calculated that even “2+2=4” is not really the truth, we understand that it is, AFTER ALL, just an opinion. The thing is that, we are so sure of it that we get cocky. I contradict myself now, because just earlier, I said that “2+2=4” was not an opinion… Well! That just proves the insufficiency of the language. In fact, you may easily get two 3year old idiots to fight about “2+2”.

Even worse, sometimes “knowing the truth” may get you in trouble.

Imagine that you are in a room with 9 people. They all agree on the fact that “2+2=5”… Well, then… You are the crazy one, thinking that it is 4! And that means: you don’t get a pancake. So, what do do? You must lie to them, in order to get your pancake. That’s cool, you lie. But, say the same lie 10 times, and you will start believing it. Alternatively, you may try to leave the room. But, what you definitely do not want to do, the thing that will gain you the least, is insisting on the truth, which is not even the truth, but just a strong opinion. So, give up the truth.

I will actually suggest that you try to leave the room, because, eventually, those idiots are going to start fighting among themselves and make you choose a side, and that’s bullshit. However, sometimes, you will not be able to leave that room. In that case you should start accepting the lie. You will eventually become an idiot, which is better than being an intelligent in a room full of idiots.

Hopefully, you’ll manage to leave the room and find some cool people in the world. Leave your job, sell your house, change your name.. and you’ll be closer to the truth. You will maybe find a friend and the two of you.. first.. you will calculate how to trick those 9 idiots into making you pancakes for free. Then you will realize that pancakes will only make you fat and stupid.

And then, just maybe, the two of you will stop to sit on top of the mountain of opinions, not talking, but listening to music, feeling the truth, staying far away from all the idiots, and maybe.. maybe I’ll be there myself. I mean, I have the map, and I’m trying to get out of the room. I guess, I’m an idiot.

So, that’s my opinion on opinion. It’s all bullshit.