# Opinions or beliefs that you suspect some people secretly hold **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 15, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396 "2016-06-15T03:48:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/61 "2016-06-24T16:42:52Z")
I think a lot of people - men and women - think that unless you’re dragged shrieking down an alley, it’s not really rape. Drunken rape, date rape, and all those “kinds” of rapes are just, I don’t know, a lapse of judgement. I believe a significant portion of men hold varying degrees of scorn in their hearts for women. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/62 "2016-06-25T01:53:35Z")
> [@Lowdown](#): > > I would be all over #1. I’d spam the hell out of that button! I do not consider it a secret. > > See you later anti-vaxxers, hipsters, hippies, gun nuts, homophobes, patchouli-wearers, morbidly obese people, hip-hop listeners, and people who don’t use turn signals! \ > > \\\\\\\\\ > [@mr\_wolf](#): > > Ufff! I’m glad I’m still here! Just curious though, for whom was the 10th one? Some guy passing by saw him pressing that button over and over, asked him what it was for, and when **Lowdown** told him, he said, “Sounds cool! Do you mind if I take a look at it?” When **Lowdown** handed it over, that tenth _Zzzzap!_ did not end well for him… ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/63 "2016-06-25T03:15:58Z")
I believe that a lot of younger black people are way more consciously/casually racist than the average white person they’ve just never been in a position of power to exploit it. I believe there are way more sociopaths out there than current statistics would indicate. I believe that a lot of Democrats believe but would never admit that deep down under all the posturing gun control will never make a difference in the United States, there’s already too many weapons out there, and that they know any talk about repealing the second amendment is just that, talk. I think a lot of people who are attractive think that they are better people and have more innate value than unattractive people. I think a lot more people than would admit it, didn’t give a damn about the Orlando Massacre or even secretly cheered it because of who the victims were. I think a lot of people who profess belief in religion, when faced with their actual death or that of a loved one, lose that faith and belief in an afterlife. I think that a significant number of people really believe that when they fail at something because of lack of talent or intelligence, really think they just didn’t care about what they were doing, always rationalized after the fact. I think a lot of people that outwardly appear to reject materialism and money as unimportant really would love to be rich fat cats that could spend money on frivolous and ostentatious displays of wealth. I think a large proportion of men really don’t see cheating on their wife or girlfriend as morally reprehensible and though maybe they don’t actively pursue other women, they would cheat on them at the drop of a hat if the opportunity presented itself. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/64 "2016-06-25T05:43:55Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > \*\*2#. \*\* I believe that a substantial number of people care more about animals than humans, and would save an animal life over a human life, or even many human lives. I’m pretty openly the opposite, we could do with a few million less cats and dogs on the planet. I would skewer stacks of puppies on pikes to save a kid. ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/65 "2016-06-25T12:54:32Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I think a lot of people - men and women - think that unless you’re dragged shrieking down an alley, it’s not really rape. Drunken rape, date rape, and all those “kinds” of rapes are just, I don’t know, a lapse of judgement. “[Legitimate Rape](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/us/politics/rep-todd-akin-legitimate-rape-statement-and-reaction.html?_r=0)”? > [@Anaamika](#): > > I believe a significant portion of men hold varying degrees of scorn in their hearts for women. Scorn for a particular woman? Sure. Scorn for women, just generally, no. I’m sure that such men exist, but I’ve never met one. And, trust me, I have met a lot of the more interesting men in my geographic region. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/66 "2016-06-25T13:29:29Z")
> [@DrForrester](#): > > “[Legitimate Rape](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/21/us/politics/rep-todd-akin-legitimate-rape-statement-and-reaction.html?_r=0)”? > > Scorn for a particular woman? Sure. Scorn for women, just generally, no. I’m sure that such men exist, but I’ve never met one. And, trust me, I have met a lot of the more interesting men in my geographic region. Don’t know many MRA types, huh? Well, hold on. We have several of the lovely fellows running around here on the boards who would love to introduce you to their “ideology.” ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/67 "2016-06-25T13:32:23Z")
As most people who read the political threads know, I’m a conservative, but I admit I tend to be partial to Jewish Democratic officeholders. I don’t think it’s because they are Jewish, but for some reason they just rub me the right way whereas gentile Democrats normally piss me off for some reason. So I’ve obviously got a pro-Jewish bias on some level, which makes sense given that I’m Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/68 "2016-06-25T13:37:56Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > \*\*2#. \*\* I believe that a substantial number of people care more about animals than humans, and would save an animal life over a human life, or even many human lives. Put it this way - I value the lives of _some_ animals over _some_ humans. For instance, I’d preferentially save the life of my Labrador\* over the life of that turd with the cellphone in the adjoining restaurant booth last night. But I don’t value the lives of rabbits or deer ticks over those of random strangers. \*or maybe all Labradors. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/69 "2016-06-25T21:09:01Z")
Based off of some Internet comments, I think there are some men and women who would be curious what it would be like to spend a day, a week or a month as the opposite gender, just to see what it it is like. Not permanently - so in that sense, they are not people who want to be transgender - but just curious as to what social interaction, their friends, a different human body, would be like. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/70 "2016-06-25T21:35:33Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Based off of some Internet comments, I think there are some men and women who would be curious what it would be like to spend a day, a week or a month as the opposite gender, just to see what it it is like. Not permanently - so in that sense, they are not people who want to be transgender - but just curious as to what social interaction, their friends, a different human body, would be like. My opinion is if such a thing were possible, it would hugely increase the collective wisdom of humanity. I know I learned…more than I can even say. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/71 "2016-06-25T23:42:19Z")
Meta-answer: people who seem different from me – in volitional or at least more or less mutable ways, at any rate – are some combination of misinformed, self-deluding, putting up a front for some reason, or unaware of the possibility of being like me. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/72 "2016-06-26T02:46:05Z")
I believe that many more people than would ever admit it in public, including many liberals, are de facto race realists: that is, they believe that various mental or behavioral characteristics between human population groups, like the controversial racial differences in average intelligence, do in fact have a significantly innate component. I also believe that there are lots of people out there who experience sexual attraction to prepubescent children, but who never act on this, and never tell anyone. ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/73 "2016-06-26T12:08:52Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > I believe that many more people than would ever admit it in public, including many liberals, are de facto race realists: that is, they believe that various mental or behavioral characteristics between human population groups, like the controversial racial differences in average intelligence, do in fact have a significantly innate component. There are, of course, biological differences between the sexes and among races. Black folks, for example, are far more likely to contract Sickle Cell Anemia. There are at least dozens of other examples. It was always the case in research that male laboratory animals were used, because it was thought that the hormone cycles in the females might add another variable to the results. By using only males, you can eliminate that variable. However, it turns out that females are not just males with a hormone cycle. Females actually do respond differently to some medications. Females actually do have different symptoms for some conditions. (for example heart attacks can present very differently in females vs males) Unfortunately, what this means is that we have a medical community and an arsenal of drugs that is much better prepared to handle ailments in males than in females. D’oh! It’s when we recklessly proceed from what is actually known to what we choose to believe that we get into trouble. > [@Velocity](#): > > Based off of some Internet comments, I think there are some men and women who would be curious what it would be like to spend a day, a week or a month as the opposite gender, just to see what it it is like. [Tiresias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiresias) did it with interesting results. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/74 "2016-06-26T14:20:57Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > I think a significant number of religious people don’t actually believe the shit they hear in church or synagogue or temple, but mob mentality is hard to go against and being in an area where such thoughts are prevalent radicalizes you. That’s why I think the best way for the West to de-radicalize the Middle East is not with bombs or wars or bribes, but to flood them with our Hollywood culture so that people know there’s an alternative. As much as conservatives like to rail against Hollywood here at home, abroad it is our most potent recruitment tool. On the other side of this same point, I suspect that some of the people who hold power/authority through religion, culture, or politics Do feel threatened by the free presentation of alternative ideas and try to act against both the dissemination of alternative ideas as well as free and independent thought. I suspect that a few may try to organize their followers through heavy guilt or by social acceptance incentives to try to actively isolate and/or attempt to “cow” or discredit the voices of different views that conflict with theirs, through various ‘non-violent’ means. I suspect some people think (or fool themselves by rationalization) that ‘non-violent’ equals ‘morally justifiable’, ‘ethically acceptable’, ‘right’, or even ‘legal’. > [@Velocity](#): > > I believe there are some people who take an almost vicious pleasure in deliberately calling what is right, wrong, and promoting what is wrong, as right. I wonder if there’s a psychological term for this. ^ This is a great point and I’d like to know the correct term for this disorder also. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/75 "2016-06-26T18:39:12Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > ^ This is a great point and I’d like to know the correct term for this disorder also. Cranial-Rectal Inversion Syndrome > **[Urban Dictionary: cranial rectal inversion](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cranial%20rectal%20inversion)** > > The act of having your head up your ass. ---
**Author:** ![jsquire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jsquire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsquire)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/76 "2016-06-26T20:57:59Z")
I think most people who wear their political beliefs on their sleeve (which seems to be just about everyone on Facebook) don’t believe 95% of it (or at least haven’t given any thought as to why they believe it, which to me is the same thing), but are rah-rahing their side as if they are cheering for a sports team. If a liberal is for it then a conservative is automatically against it, and vice versa. I don’t think that’s much of a secret. Based on my 22 years as a high school teacher, my personal not-so-secret belief is that the current 15-21 year old demographic is more thoughtful, polite, concerned and empathetic than any cohort before them. My other not-so-secret belief is that the Baby Boomers are by and large a bunch of selfish bastards and have done terrible things to this country. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/77 "2016-06-27T00:33:08Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > I also believe that there are lots of people out there who experience sexual attraction to prepubescent children, but who never act on this, and never tell anyone. Based on what people post in the semi-anonymity of the Internet, I believe a lot of people would like to at least try pedophilia, incest, or extreme promiscuity if they could only do so without consequences. ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/78 "2016-06-27T00:49:42Z")
\>I truly believe a large number of millennials actually want to see a zombie outbreak. \>I truly believe nearly all religious people are hypocrites throughout their life. \>I truly everyone is subconsciously racist even against their own race as it’s part of how are brains naturally work. \>I truly believe everyone enjoys watching other people fail. It’s why bad news is always top news. \>I truly believe that too many adults care too much about what others think of them. That’s why they get mad if you speak the truth about them. \>I truly believe that over 90% of world population is greedy and selfish despite what they give. That is why they get mad at rich people for not sharing because they want some of it themselves…which is a selfish thought and is also why those that give often only give to people they know or gain sympathy for first. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/79 "2016-06-27T10:39:08Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Based on what people post in the semi-anonymity of the Internet, I believe a lot of people would like to at least try pedophilia, incest, or extreme promiscuity if they could only do so without consequences. “Extreme promiscuity” = dating, right? Consequences? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2016, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396/80 "2016-06-27T10:45:58Z")
Incest doesn’t have any consequences if no one tells. It’s consensual. I’m sure there are a lot more people involved in incestous relationships than would admit it in public, but probably still a tiny minority. Now pedophilia, to a point I’d say it’s more prevalent among the population(especially the male population) than we’d like to think, if only because where it’s legal to screw minors(10 or so and up), it seems a pretty popular pastime and draws in a lot of well off tourists too. But small children, 10 and under, I’d imagine that’s pretty rare, although probably far more prevalent than the numbers we see get caught, since you have to assume not everyone, or even most people, who are attracted to small children are going to actually do it. Even if you think you can get away with it, who could do that to a child? I can only guess, but I’d bet that for every “out” pedophile there are at least 10 who keep their fantasies to themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-or-beliefs-that-you-suspect-some-people-secretly-hold/757396.md?page=5)