To be honest, the selection of this topic surprises me. I feel that, in this day and age, the problem is exactly the opposite. Lots of people seem to have an opinion on every topic, even when they have limited knowledge about it. The most extreme cases do not care about being wrong—nobody will call them out afterward, and doing so is often frowned upon in today’s society (except on Twitter)—but will actually fight blindly for their view.
At least, that’s my two cents based on personal experience
Good point! I think two seemingly opposite things can be true at the same time. I also think there’s a cultural element at play where some people are rewarded for having and expressing opinions about everything. In contrast, the fear of being wrong, losing face, and being exposed as inadequate makes others hedge and never fully express their true beliefs. It can go both ways. Maybe spending too much time in Germany again has warped my perception, whereas in Spain, things are very much in the realm of rewarding meta-discourse and opinionated midwits. “Hablar sin saber”, comes to mind.
To be honest, the selection of this topic surprises me. I feel that, in this day and age, the problem is exactly the opposite. Lots of people seem to have an opinion on every topic, even when they have limited knowledge about it. The most extreme cases do not care about being wrong—nobody will call them out afterward, and doing so is often frowned upon in today’s society (except on Twitter)—but will actually fight blindly for their view.
At least, that’s my two cents based on personal experience
Good point! I think two seemingly opposite things can be true at the same time. I also think there’s a cultural element at play where some people are rewarded for having and expressing opinions about everything. In contrast, the fear of being wrong, losing face, and being exposed as inadequate makes others hedge and never fully express their true beliefs. It can go both ways. Maybe spending too much time in Germany again has warped my perception, whereas in Spain, things are very much in the realm of rewarding meta-discourse and opinionated midwits. “Hablar sin saber”, comes to mind.