📘 Part 3: Opinions and perspectives

This episode's vocabulary

Tangible (adj.) - real and not imaginary; able to be shown, touched, or experienced.

Concrete (adj.) - clear and certain, or real and existing in a form that can be seen or felt.

Abstract (adj.) - an abstract argument or discussion is general and not based on particular examples.

To constitute (verb) - to be or be considered as something.

To navigate (verb) - to successfully find a way from one place to another.

Readily (adverb) - quickly, immediately, willingly, or without any problem.

Persuasive (adj.) - making you want to do or believe a particular thing.

Unequivocal (adj.) - total, or expressed in a clear and certain way.

Principled (adj.) - always behaving in an honest and moral way.

To spout (verb) - to speak a lot, in a way that is boring or annoying for other people.

To compromise (verb) - to accept that you will reduce your demands or change your opinion in order to reach an agreement with someone.

To stick to your guns (idiom) - to continue to have your beliefs or continue with a plan of action, even if other people disagree with you.

Consensus (noun) - a generally accepted opinion or decision among a group of people.

To air (verb) - to make opinions or complaints known to other people.

Grievance (noun) - a complaint or a strong feeling that you have been treated unfairly.

Questions and Answers

M: What things do young people have strong opinions about?

R: That's a good question, actually. I mean, probably as many things as there are young people, but popular topics would probably include their views on fashion and music, since those play a fairly large role in their lives these days, or at least they seem to, based on what I hear.

M: Why do they have these strong opinions?

R: Well, that's sort of lost on me, to be honest. I mean, it's not like these are particularly important compared to other things like government corruption. At a guess, I'd say it's because they're pretty tangible things. You can see and hear music and fashion a concrete way that you don't with things like government corruption. At least in my country.

M: And what things do older people have strong opinions about?

R: Less tangible and more abstract concepts, like how to deal with other people and what constitutes good manners, for example. I mean, since they've been in the culture so long, it makes sense they would be able to navigate discussions about these topics more readily and easily.

M: Which is more important? Listening to others or persuading others?

R: Surely that depends on what you want to achieve. I mean, if it's about finding out information, then listening would be better. But if you want to achieve some kind of change in the world, being persuasive is probably going to be a high priority.

M: Do you think we should only say something after thinking it through?

R: I think many people think that, but we rarely actually do it. Again, it will depend on what we hope to achieve. If it's a discussion where you're expected to give unequivocal support, well, then you don't need to do much thinking, do you? However, if we're being asked for a measured opinion, it's important to pause for thought before saying what you think about something.

M: Do you think it's good to have strong opinions?

R: Well, not particularly. It's not a bad thing either, depending on the context. For instance, it could be taken as a sign of being a very principled person, but it could also land you in a lot of trouble if you're spouting off about people like powerful political figures. And the other thing is, at least for politicians, people who voice their strong opinions tend to be full of hot air. So there's also that to consider.

M: And what can people do with a person who has very strong opinions?

R: Well, generally speaking, if someone is not willing to compromise, and they're just sticking to what they think and sticking to their guns without any hope of some sort of consensus, then you just listen to them, what they have to say. I think that's generally... If someone is like that, then they're probably just looking for someone to listen to them and so they can air their grievances. There's no point trying to change their minds, because that's not what the purpose of the discussion is.