After reading the interesting post published by @chbartist under the title The Population of the World and the Opinion of One Person... and which you can read here, I was motivated to write a couple of lines about it.

Chbartist begins his article by stating that "With over seven billion people currently populating this world, it would be, at the very least, absurd to suggest that the opinion of one person should be taken as an absolute fact," to continue by saying that "It is also important to differentiate between facts and opinions. Doing something hazardous might harm you. This is a debatable fact. But when someone comes to you and says that 'You cannot do this thing!' that is merely an opinion." He concludes his writing by making us a very categorical invitation: "Do not let the opinion of one single person determine who you are as a person. Specially if it is a negative opinion. You should understand that deep down, no one can understand you like you do. You should understand that in the end, it is just an opinion, and not something worth dwelling on!"

I've decided to expand a little on what was originally just a comment, but I found the topic very interesting and I wanted to find out what it is that we call "opinion". In truth there are seven billion independent and well-founded opinions on this planet so threatened by pollution and so many evils, many products of our clumsiness as a species?

One would have to ask oneself if each human being really owns his own opinions. I think that the vast majority limit themselves to repeating what religious dogmas, political ideologies and tradition, which in many cases justify superstitions, prejudices and customs that even become very cruel, and of course, the all-powerful media that often limit themselves to manipulating the masses. I think it can be said that very few people have an opinion of their own as a result of an objective analysis of reality.

Can it be said that personal opinions are all that racket of ideas, beliefs and creeds that they hold even with their own lives or even attacking the lives of others who are carried away by religious dogmas? Clearly not. In countries where theocratic regimes are harshly governed, it is simply impossible for the individual to dissent from what the clergy claim, as this can lead to death. But not only that. We have seen with horror that in spite of the fact that the 21st century is already well advanced, even modern countries that respect religious freedom are being threatened by religious fanaticism. If you can't have your own thought, you can't talk about freedom of opinion.

As to whether there can be free opinion in societies oppressed by political ideologies I think the answer is obvious: no. As an inhabitant of a country like Venezuela, I know firsthand how ignominious it is to live under a system that wastes no opportunity to impose its system of beliefs and political practices over individual opinion. But beware, even in the so-called First World Countries that threat is latent. If not, let the citizens who have been investigated or even arrested under the Patriot Act in the USA say so.

What does it matter the opinion of the young woman who is going to be a victim of the mutilation of her clitoris if there are so many centuries of tradition that affirm that such cruel practice is the best thing for her? We tend to be naive when it comes to appreciating the heritage of peoples, what we call Tradition. What tourist is not fascinated by the exotic display of the "traditional" in the remote villages he visits for a few days? He would think otherwise if he had to carry on his shoulders the weight of a lot of backward advice, meaningless superstitions, prejudices whose only basis is that "it has always been like this", illogical customs and taboos without a rational grounding. Where tradition rules and orders all aspects of life there can be no free opinion.

But if you live in a country where progress flourishes and technology solves all your problems you can't necessarily be sure you have your "own opinion". You have wondered how much of what you believe, what you do, what you dream of is nothing more than the product of an invisible web woven by the mass media. It is quite possible that your freedom of thought is nothing more than a mirage. The Big Brother that George Orwell warned about may not have the wrinkled and bad face of Richard Burton but the sweet smile of the girl who convinced you on the screen to support a noble cause that you don't even remember what it is anymore. Don't be so sure of your opinion when there are subtle mechanisms of manipulation around you.