# Are you afraid to voice unpopular opinions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 24, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513 "2016-05-24T02:03:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/41 "2016-05-24T16:29:40Z")
If I were afraid to voice unpopular opinions I certainly wouldn’t post on this message board. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/42 "2016-05-24T17:58:50Z")
“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.” ― Bill Bullard I don’t give my or anyone else’s opinions much attention. It is by your actions that I judge you. This includes the action of airing your opinions at inappropriate times or self-serving reasons. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/43 "2016-05-24T18:17:06Z")
Mostly I’m proud to be different. However, I also recognize that I want to have real conversations with people and so I’m often served better by sticking to things that we can agree on rather than constantly bringing up what we don’t agree with. Politics is a good example. If I’m in the same room as someone who has a totally different view of politics, my usual strategy is to find some common ground. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/44 "2016-05-24T18:56:12Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > The question seems self obvious. How much do you allow **society** to obliterate your **identity**? I don’t see how either question (the one in the title and the one in the OP are completely different questions) is so “self obvious.” How is expressing or not expressing an unpopular opinion “allowing society to obliterate your identity”? ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/45 "2016-05-24T19:06:58Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > And don’t worry. No one is going to “stalk” you. Hopefully, as long as I am not popular, no one will. But every popular person online, or offline has to put up with negative attention. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/46 "2016-05-24T19:08:24Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > How is expressing or not expressing an unpopular opinion “allowing society to obliterate your identity”? It is about a person being forced to follow society’s value and break their identity. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/47 "2016-05-24T19:10:37Z")
How are you being “forced” to do anything? Or is this about how “society” expects you to provide for yourself? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/48 "2016-05-24T19:14:17Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Hopefully, as long as I am not popular, no one will. You seem overly concerned with becoming popular. Why? > [@CCitizen](#): > > But every popular person online, or offline has to put up with negative attention. The price of fame. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/49 "2016-05-24T19:25:26Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > You seem overly concerned with becoming popular. Why? I am a natural born writer. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/50 "2016-05-24T19:25:28Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Hopefully, as long as I am not popular, no one will. > > But every popular person online, or offline has to put up with negative attention. I think you wish someone would stalk you because you clearly crave attention. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/51 "2016-05-24T19:28:17Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > I think you wish someone would stalk you because you clearly crave attention. NO! I crave positive and some negative attention but not such attention. Larry Flynt offended tens of millions of people and became Rich and Famous. But just one maniac destroyed his life and almost killed him. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/52 "2016-05-24T19:29:00Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I am a natural born writer. You keep saying that, and yet the only “books” you claim to have written are simply compilations of your message board postings. I think it’s safe to say that no one is clamoring to read those books. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/53 "2016-05-24T19:39:43Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I am a natural born writer. Really? What have you written/published? Win any literary awards? Got an agent? Received any book deals? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/54 "2016-05-24T21:17:17Z")
Don’t forget all the Big Chief writing tablets in his room. Sent from my LG-V410 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/55 "2016-05-24T22:09:32Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Hopefully, as long as I am not popular, no one will. > > But every popular person online, or offline has to put up with negative attention. Negative attention is not the same thing as stalking. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/56 "2016-05-24T22:37:13Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Are you afraid to voice unpopular opinions? > > The question seems self obvious. How much do you allow **society** to obliterate your **identity**? I selected - Not Much - which I assume means not very afraid to voice unpopular opinions. I’m not sure how being afraid to voice unpopular opinions could obliterate your identity? What identity? Being known as the quite guy? The guy that seems to agree with everyone else? If someone is afraid to make their opinions known to others, do they even have an identity as far as others are concerned? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/57 "2016-05-24T23:39:56Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Negative attention is not the same thing as stalking. Sadly many celebrities or even semi – celebrities do get stalked. Fortunately for me, I do not have hundreds of thousands of readers. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/58 "2016-05-24T23:41:37Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Really? What have you written/published? Win any literary awards? Got an agent? Received any book deals? My parents may have been right when they chose STEM for me – they understood that being a famous writer is dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/59 "2016-05-24T23:43:05Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I’m not sure how being afraid to voice unpopular opinions could obliterate your identity? For many people their opinion is part of their identity. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513/60 "2016-05-25T00:08:50Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > It is about a person being forced to follow society’s value and break their identity. Does this ever happen? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-to-voice-unpopular-opinions/755513.md?page=4)