Life Hack: You don’t have to have an opinion about everything

I have a dog. I am of brewery-going age. I have opinions, loads of them. I even have an opinion on this very matter. But I didn’t engage.

“Not everything has to be something,” I said, ending a conversation that’s been beaten to death before it even began… again. It felt good not to care, or perhaps to care without feeling the need to share.

In some circles and regarding certain topics, it can feel taboo not to form and share an opinion.

In my line of work I feel constant pressure to draw my line in the sand and stand firmly on one side, fact checking my stance and firing grenades at the opposition — even if it’s a topic I care as little about as dogs in breweries. It’s exhausting.

It can be tempting to engage in lively debates like these, especially online. This is due, in part, to the pressure to feel relevant and to sound informed and intelligent even when we know full well that we are not (or don’t care to be).

I have a ton of respect for people who like to share smart, well-formed opinions on important topics. I also have a ton of respect for people who know when to bow out of a debate that has nothing to do with them. It takes poise, restraint and personal accountability to pick your battles.

Are you chiming in because something is important to you and your voice moves the conversation forward? Or are you chiming in because someone pissed you off and you’re bored?

I’ve recently started trying to revive my meditation practice and in doing so am reminded of the importance of letting my own thoughts occur without immediately attaching judgement and consequence. I wonder if applying the same practice to other people’s thoughts works just as well. Can I acknowledge debates around me without always layering on my own opinion?

Meditation is a lot less mystical than it sounds. The practice is quite simply an attempt to quiet the mind, an act that’s easier said than done. When thoughts inevitably interrupt your otherwise quiet mind, you’re supposed to let them just pass right through like a floating cloud. See it, acknowledge and let it go. It’s possible to be surrounded by clouds without commenting on the weather.

It’s also possible to be informed and intelligent without chomping down on the bait dropped by the latest hot-button debate.

This isn’t to say we should censor ourselves, avoid uncomfortable topics or ignore truly dangerous or unethical discourse that should always be shut down.

But we should identify what’s worth our energy and what’s not. If my capacity for critical thought is a natural resource in limited supply, do I want to burn through my daily ration weighing the pros and cons of dogs in bars? Not particularly.

If that’s important to you, great. Fight the good fight. Go down swinging.

Passionate, intelligent discourse is part of what makes us human. In person, it’s an art.

But online it can just sound like a vitriolic, one-sided rant.

A steadfast belief system and a strong moral compass are vital. So know where you stand and get loud when it matters. But choose your battles. A vocal opinion on every hot take on the internet (including this one) is not necessary.