Take responsibility for your opinions

We all know the phrase “take responsibility for your actions”. In fact, our entire justice system is founded on it. If you do something wrong, you get punished. You pay for your actions.

But not for your opinions, or exclaiming them. They are protected by ‘freedom of speech’. Completely sacrosanct. Apart from some specific examples of hate speech or inciting violence, you can hold and project any opinion you want. And in my book, that’s often more dangerous than actions.

If it can’t be policed by law, then it’s down to us as individuals: People should take responsibility for their OPINIONS.

We should challenge ourselves to question why we hold our opinions. What facts we think we have to support them, and if those facts are really facts. Recognise when we’re accepting information that only confirms our biases. And even after all that, understand the effect our opinions might have on others who won’t have the humility or intelligence to challenge us.

It’s said (you can look it up) that intelligent people know what they don’t know. That suggests that stupid people don’t know what they don’t know and so believe anything that ‘feels’ right to them.

I say this in response to the ongoing crumbling of our society (NB: opinion, unfounded) but also in business, where ignorance and arrogance is usually the cause of wasted money, time and opportunity. Can everyone get a little more humble, a little more analytical and a little less sure of their gut. It’s quite literally full of shit.

This is just my opinion. I do not expect anyone to agree with it or adopt it, and I welcome learning that I’m wrong.

Ben Gallop – CEO, Brand & Deliver