Say it with chest

on owning your opinions

I recently watched the last series of Shrinking on Apple TV. As I do every time I finish a show I’m not yet ready to part ways with, I desperately foraged the internet for more clips of the cast together, like a malfunctioning magpie compelled to heavily-formatted press interviews instead of shiny objects.

It was on this Oliver Twist pilgrimage for more that I stumbled on a review from The Guardian.

Their verdict: three stars.

Huh.

I mean, it’s not a bad rating, per se. The Guardian are harsh critics. They notoriously gatekeep their stars like if they didn’t, they might lose their glow.

Still, I think it was worthy of higher praise? What would I have given it…four and a half stars? No, maybe that’s too high…four? Sure, it was funny and creative and everything but The Guardian did have a point about Harrison Ford pulling most of the show’s weight. If he wasn’t in it, would I have bothered watching? And although I hadn’t thought the plot felt unrealistic before, now they suggest it, I don’t disagree.

On second thoughts, maybe it wasn’t as good as I initially thought. Maybe I’ll actually withhold from recommending it to my colleague who I know also has an Apple TV subscription. She might think I have bad taste. Wait, do I have bad taste?

Such is my disposition. Easily influenced by others’ opinions; too quick to doubt my own.

I only allow my opinions to form once they have gone through an external vetting process and conform to industry standards.

I only allow my opinions to exist loudly and proudly once they’ve been double-checked against the popular vote, once they align with the general consensus.

I wish I owned my opinions more. I care what other people think of me, that’s the problem. I know I shouldn’t. But I do. And so, I sometimes worry if my opinion is ‘right’.

But, an opinion cannot be ‘right’. If it were, it would, in fact, be a fact.

My opinions don’t have to be perfect to exist. They can change, as I change. They can be challenged, as I’m challenged. But, they need to exist. I owe it to myself to use my voice. I owe it to myself to trust my gut. I owe it to myself to believe that my opinions are as valuable as those of others. Because they are.

Anyway, that’s just what I think - if you disagree, I do too!

JOKING

Bye, luv ya,

Lily x