Have you ever said something and people listening to you all of a sudden looked shocked? Sometimes, this is the reaction that unpopular opinions elicit from the people who are close to us.
Unpopular opinions come in different forms, ranging from serious life matters to aspects as light as PDAs are not weird, they are actually sweet. Whichever form an unpopular opinion comes in, it alters people’s perspective of you in several ways, consequently affecting your life.
1. It reveals a side of you that people may not have known before
Knowing a person never happens in one instance, it takes a series of events. These events may include actions or even statements that one may make about themselves. One of the statements that will give people a glimpse into who you are is an unpopular opinion.
As you spend time together with people close to you, people never know everything about you. Here, the details may not be as important in how you interact daily. However, they are details that may be important for people close to you to know you better.
For instance, you have spent Christmas holidays with people every year, and then one day you mention how there’s no point in having a social media profile. All over a sudden, people get to understand why you are not on social media sites.
2. It tells people what your life values are or how you think
However light and shallow unpopular opinions are these days, they play a huge role in telling people around us about our life values. Some unpopular opinions are too deep, they give a peek into the values that people hold.
A good example is with the unpopular opinion on why one’s life is the way it is. “You are the reason your life has turned out as it has”. A person with this unpopular opinion believes in a person’s power to change and redirect the course of their life, rather than the hand of fate.
When people get to know more about what you value or how you think, it will set the mood and approach that people take when interacting with you.
3. It guides people on how to interact with you
Unpopular opinions sometimes come in handy in giving people hints on how to interact with you. Though your purpose could be deliberate in making people close to you know how to interact with you, some details may just slip through your fingers.
This is where unpopular opinions may come in handy. For instance, when one mentions that “Money comes first, everything next”, then it becomes very clear to the people around you that the one thing that may bring about conflicts between you.
4. Some unpopular opinions may lead to the risk of losing one’s social capital
The main risk of having to unpopular opinion involves losing one’s social circle. Friendships involve having shared beliefs and opinions. Most of the time, ideas are shared. So that one does not feel uncomfortable or unsafe in holding this particular opinion.
However, when a friend starts liking an unpopular opinion, the social dynamics change. All of a sudden, they are not good enough for the circle unless for open-minded individuals, of which they are very few.
Relatives may even start being distant because conversations may start becoming uncomfortable. To avoid tension in the discussions, distance may be a consideration.
5. Other unpopular opinions may lead to losing your job
When the unpopular opinion is on a larger scale that may attract a national backlash, one may risk losing their job. Jobs do come with an expectation about one’s personal beliefs and opinions.
Companies have an image to protect. This usually comes into perspective when employees express an unpopular opinion that is not in line with the whole organization’s disposition.
Sometimes though, the unpopular opinion may be on a small scale but still lead to one losing their job.
6. The risk of rocking boats to one’s relationships
Sometimes, one may stick to a particularly unpopular opinion but later on, change their mind. The world is not static, and things change. This constant change may lead to one’s view of their opinion changing.
Maybe at that time, they have lost a lot through holding to this particular idea toward life. What follows is regret.
For instance, you decide to be a minimalist possessing only a hundred items. After some time, you may realise you are unwilling to continue down that path.
Changing your mind can have serious implications for your relationships.
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