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When I started this blog, writing only opinion pieces seemed like a good idea. It was somewhat original, set my blog apart from those of my peers, and expressed part of my personality in its very concept. Additionally, I enjoy having a blog that is clear in its purpose and direction.
The problem: it is hard to keep up with a blog when so much effort is required for an entry. As it stands, in order to pull off a successful post, I need to develop a strong opinion about something, remember I have a blog where I can write about it, have the time to write about it, and write something that I like enough to post. Apathy, laziness, and forgetfulness all stand in the way of frequent posting, which is why (as you may have noticed) I manage to only crank out about one entry a month.
To correct this, I have developed a new feature for my blog which breaks from the letter of its original intent but, I believe, stays true to the spirit: The Weekly Endorsement. This will be, well, an endorsement of anything that I find cool, believe in, or for any reason want to give my seal of approval to. It could be a philosophy or political ideology, a product or service, a person, a way of life. Anything, really, and it will come on a weekly basis.
The Weekly Endorsement will not replace opinion pieces, which I'll still post when I can, but it will force me to post more frequently and might lead to more blog features in the future.
The first endorsement is lighthearted, but gives you an idea of what I'm going for. So without further delay...
The Weekly Endorsement: Charmin Ultra Soft
I believe in spending responsibly, but there are certain things that are just not worth compromising on. Underwear, for example. Coffee for another. When it comes to toilet paper, saving a buck or two is just not worth having to clean yourself with anything but the best in sanitary technology.
Besides the obvious physical comfort of a softer, plusher line of TP, Charmin Ultra Soft (not Ultra Strong -- that is a completely different animal) offers other benefits. Firstly, you don't have to change the roll as often; the grocery store brand is cheap, but the rolls come with about half the actual paper on them. Secondly, guests in your home will never think of you as cheap. Finally, waste is eliminated; I firmly believe that I use less toilet paper in terms of mass because a square or two of the good stuff is significantly more effective than 10 of the cheap kind. This also cuts down on toilet clogs.
This final point is especially important because it leads me to believe that an investment in more expensive toilet paper actually saves me money. Initially, it costs a few extra bucks, but it lasts way, way, way longer than a package of generic. Your best bet? Buy in bulk at Costco and reap the physical and financial rewards every day.
I write opinions because I like to and because it’s a challenge for me to take the thoughts in my brain and put them on paper (so to speak) in an ordered, reasonable fashion. If the end result is a coherent argument I’ve succeeded – if not, I’ve failed. What I mean to say here is that I write opinions not because of a burning desire to let all three of you who read my blog know what I think about stuff, but because it’s a good way to work on skills that I think are valuable. The debate that hopefully follows is an added bonus.
I was commiserating with a friend (one of the aforementioned three readers) the other day about how we often offend friends by turning everything into an argument. We like debate for the sake of debate, and find it hard to understand why everyone isn’t just like us. I can see how annoying we must be to other people, but I have the hardest time letting someone’s opinion just hang out in the air without asking, “Why do you think that?” Especially if it seems ungrounded to me. (Side note: be flattered if I ask you to defend yourself. It means I think I can learn from you.)
From what I’m told, debate was a skill that used to be valued. I wonder how long ago I wouldn’t have had to risk eye rolls for expecting someone to have reasons why they believed something.
It seems like opinions are too easy to come by these days. I’m allowed to pick one up and call it my own because the New York Times prints it, or because my friends say it. As an example (just an example, I’m not getting political here), everyone I met in Europe preferred Barack Obama for president and went out of their way to tell me so, but I only met one person who, when questioned, could tell me why. Their culture allowed them to have a shallow opinion.
I call this “opinion inflation,” and I think it’s ruining our ability to think for ourselves. Never having to answer the question “why?” means I’m free to think or say anything, without having to take the initiative to examine evidence for myself. It means I can pretty much expect not to be challenged.
Opinion inflation is but a symptom of the larger disease: a fear of conflict, even the healthy kind. But that is another discussion for another day. For now, be confident enough to not accept everything you hear. Be willing to say, “I don’t know” when you don’t know. Ask why and expect to be asked why in return. We’ll all be better off for it.
