I do not know – maybe. Maybe anyone can be a stalker.
I’m not afraid to be different, nor do I censor myself online any more than I do offline. I think what I think, and I’ll voice it, within certain limitations like the basic respect that anyone should get. However, I don’t suffer fools gladly, and even when I don’t say it, that can sometimes come through in body language.
Afraid? No. However, I do recognize that there are times and places where it’s not appropriate to start shouting out controversial statements.
I will sometimes keep some to myself in the name of peace and quiet or because sometimes it just isn’t the right time and place (“I’m very sorry for your loss. BTW you are completely wrong on Israel!”) but mostly no, I will say what I think.
I still fear that my opinions will be too weird for my SO, but of late I’ve been centralizing a bit so it’s not so bad…
It depends on who I’m talking to and what the subject matter is.
Absolutely not, in fact, I like bringing them up, and usually people I know at least casually, like bringing up my unpopular opinions too and we’ll have fun with it to a certain degree. As a general rule, as long as an opinion is genuinely held and can be reasonably defended, I think it has merit and it’s worth discussing. If anything, I like bringing it up because I want to be challenged on my ideas to either possibly be convinced that I should reconsider or to strengthen my views by having to look at potential week points.
As an outgrowth of that, I do have some hyperbolic opinions, usually certain ones that have a basis in my actual feelings, but for whatever reason, is a ton of fun to just go WAY overboard with it, either taking something I really like and exaggerating about how awesome it is, the pinnacle of it’s craft, or the opposite. It’s particularly fun with sports, films, music, etc. where people tend to have strong but not particularly well-grounded opinions, not much stronger than “I like team X because I do.” So it creates some fascinating situations when presented with an exaggerated version of that.
The one thing that bothers me is when I do share a common opinion and, because I do tend to have more unpopular opinions than the average person, that some people who don’t know me terribly well seem incredulous when I present them. I guess there’s this sort of bizarre cognitive dissonance that people are either generally part of pop culture or part of some counter-culture and aren’t necessarily putting in the energy to have strong opinions that don’t really fit well into either box. But, really, it’s whatever, because if someone is genuinely interested, they’ll figure it out.
I said “not much” because I’m not afraid to do it, but I don’t revel in it either.
I like having a good hearty converation/argument where nothing offensive is happening. Besides, I’m pretty opinionated anyway.
I am not the type of person who feels like every single opinion needs to be expressed.
I have a ton of unpopular opinions, but I’m not stupid enough to think that 1) they are all informed opinions, 2) that anyone wants to hear them, and 3) that I can change anyone’s minds by expressing them.
It’s not that I’m afraid to say what I’m think. I just don’t see the point.
I have no issue with stating unpopular facts. Opinions, whether unpopular or not, are prefaced with something like “This is just me talking…” and are given on a more controlled basis. Facts are facts, so I call it like it is. Opinions are subject to change and mine are just as likely to be wrong as anyone else’s. That’s why the company EVP will call me and ask for my views, he knows I’ll share the facts as they are and opinions as I see them - and I know the difference.
You’ve posted about 10 variations of this same thread.
And don’t worry. No one is going to “stalk” you.
I’m not one to play “High School Gang Follow the Leader”!
Furthermore, a friend is someone who knows all about you and still likes you. If they don’t like me the way I am, then too bad.
I voted not much. I do try to think about how what I say might hurt someone. Like I’m a firm believer in abortions up to the 75th trimester (I think I calculated that correctly), but so many kids these days don’t like that so I try not to talk about it.
It depends on the context. There is a proper forum for such debates.
For example: I have no respect for Mormons. None. Their religion requires an astonishing amount of gullibility, willful blindness, and straight-up stupidity… Even relative to other Christian denominations (which is saying a lot). But the point is, I have to cooperate and even trust co-workers who subscribe to a creed I find idiotic in the extreme.
If I were completely free to do as I please, I would tell them that their religion is the dumbest thing I could possibly conceive of and I wouldn’t trust their judgment with a can opener. As a practical matter, however, doing so would instantaneously bring my career to a screeching halt and do absolutely nothing to convince the person that their faith is misplaced. So having accomplished nothing besides bringing financial and professional ruin to myself and my family, am I expected to take comfort in the fact that at least I honestly told someone what I thought about their religion? That’s a whole lot of loss for not much gain.
This, exactly. In person I have no problem having a different opinion than whoever I’m talking to but online (Facebook, news comments…) I never say anything controversial because people online turn into idiots and I worry about being harassed by nutjobs.
Yeah. That’s what they all say.
Not afraid but I do play by the rules. For instance I recently retired from the Army where it is against regulations to make political statements or support a candidate while in uniform. Off duty is fine. I would never think of doing it in uniform just to be a dick. But that doesn’t mean I’d be afraid to voice my opinion.
I’m not sure that I have unpopular opinions.
I’m an atheist, but that’s accepted by most people in Canada.
I’m a conservative, but Canadian conservatism is pretty tame compared to the US.
Hell, I’m an out and out pagan.
I’m a conservative on the SDMB - does it sound likely that I would be shy about voicing my opinions?
Regards,
Shodan