Everyone has opinions and while I am a believer of the mindset that opinions can’t be wrong because they’re subjective, I am certainly suspect to how opinions, including my own, are formed. Opinions aren’t formed in a vacuum, they are shaped by a lifetime of experiences. Some are more important than others, but the sum of those opinions and the decisions we make because of them shape who we are as a person.

Today when someone I greatly respect made a comment dismissing food as disgusting by merely looking at the packaging, I was disturbed. Delving further I’d discovered they never tried it, but they felt it was necessary to say “Ewwww!” Does someone’s opinion of a food item in and of itself make a hoot of difference? Probably not, but it says a lot about someone. If you’re that quick to pass judgement on something as insignificant as a pastry without getting the whole story, what else are you forming opinions on that way?

Take the time to learn more about something before you form an opinion on it. If it’s a new food, try it before you say it’s disgusting or delicious. If it’s a town, visit it before saying you think it’s terrible or incredible. If it’s a new person, get to know them before you swoon or cast them aside. I think we’ve all been guilty of forming an opinion on something or someone without giving it due diligence. In the end, we may not agree on our opinions about something, but at least we can be informed about them.