Opinion Extremist

Greetings!!


As I mentioned it once earlier, here in Karachi, you meet the nicest people and make some pretty memories in the public transport!! So here comes my next observation on board.


I boarded a bus today and was thankful when I got space to sit on the bench to the left of the driver. The rest of the seats were occupied with bored ladies tired from the day, wishing nothing but to get into the comfort of their beds somehow. The bench I sat on was shared by 2 other ladies I later came to know were related. At a distance of only a couple of inches, it was hard not to over-hear their conversation even without trying. The conversation I eaves-dropped on (unintentionally) started from their personal health issues and continued jumping unceremoniously from topic to topic ending somewhere on their relatives living in the wild west and their more appropriate religious practices despite of their surroundings.


However, what I noticed in this conversation was that the speaker (probably a university-going lady, clad in a black gown and scarf, with the veil hiding her face from view) seemed to have an opinion about everything they talked about. Not only this, her opinion seemed unhealthily concrete and unchangeable. The listener seldom got a chance to view her opinions or to disagree with what the first lady said. And in many places, I found her opinions too extreme.


It is good to have opinions - one should be sane enough to develop opinions about things and express them if need be - but having concrete opinions about everything doesn't seem right after this experience. One should be open to other's views too. Orthodoxy is why we have so many groups distinguishable on the basis of minute practices or beliefs. Everyone is blessed with a mouth to speak, but also with two ears to listen!


Peace.