Opinions matter

Friends,

A whole industry has now developed that takes daily public opinion polls, on politics especially, but also anything else to prompt or satisfy our curiosity about what others are thinking. We want these supposedly scientific "trending scouts" to help us orient ourselves to the wider society. We want to know if we are in the majority, or are we just among the outliers and malcontents? Apparently we the public welcome assurances that our particular orientation to life is in sync, and if it is not, we want to be forewarned. I’m not sure what it means that we are allowing polling to give us social, personal and political assurances about where we stand in relationship with others. What impact does it have on our own thinking? And how much of all that "public opinion” is actually primarily influenced by unfiltered and unaccountable biases and prejudices on social media versus well informed, nuanced, and thoughtful responses to often cagey questions? 

I suppose it’s helpful to check in by comparing ourselves with others. But the question we need to ask is whether the composite being ascribed is an adequate standard to judge what is right, wrong, or just interesting. How important is it to be told that X% of the 350 random people poled believe we need to abolish the electoral college, for example, or that X% of older people are lonely, or what proportion of the society supposedly believe abortion should be legal or prohibited? And how do these daily polls help us, either individually or as a family or group, discuss and think through what we believe and why? Or are we, like sheep, shepherded along without much serious opportunity to actually offer our advice other than maybe to a random pollster reading someone else's carefully crafted questions? I am thinking about the general public, but I am sure I am personally, consciously or subconsciously, also tugged along by the opinion poll reports. 

And I wonder how polling affects how well I examine my own opinions and values. Rather than hash out my thoughts and opinions directly with others I am now increasingly allowing a secondary entity to more or less influence what I am to think and what I need to support or oppose. Instead of relying on opinion polls, I would like to think I actually need to engage in small group discussions, preferably with folks of varied opinions, about what is best for me to believe or do. Over the years I have participated in these types of resourced groups led by experienced leaders, and I always appreciate those opportunities.

My thoughts again point toward the need for civil discussion, and how we all need to support those who offer and promote those opportunities. Right now we are in the midst of candidate nights, for example, when we can listen to the thoughts and positions of those seeking public office, and we need to attend these gatherings and support them with our presence, perhaps by sharing our own experience and knowledge. Ideally these sessions would include breakout groups to further consider what we have heard and assess and compare the candidate’s positions. But we can think of other ways within our workplaces, families, and community gatherings where we can encourage and organize a path for understanding and appreciating our differences in the service of the common good. That was always the ultimate goal of our “Civility First…So We Can Work Together” campaign of the past several years that has now been incorporated into the national Braver Angels program braverangels.org. Check it out If interested. 

Somehow the “homogenization” of our thoughts and culture through public opinion polling may be an improvement over simply fretting and stewing about what others may be thinking, but we also need to find ways to independently hone our own thinking by sharing of opinions and adjusting them in relation with others. Voting counts, of course, as the ultimate public polling opportunity. But the more we can encourage direct engagement about social, moral or personal questions, the stronger we will be personally and as a community. 

Peace,
Tom