Who determines what opinion is valued in society and what makes one opinion more valuable than others? You? Someone who shares your opinion? Your readers? Celebrities? Those who don’t agree with you?

I should warn you that I’m a few days late commenting on this issue based on the number of times I’ve seen it floating around the blogosphere. I’ve been ruminating on this topic for a few too many hours, trying to decide what it was that I really wanted to say. I, like many other Canadian bloggers, participated in the Canadian Blog Awards. While I wasn’t surprised at my standing (mid-pack), I was surprised that one of my favorite blogs, Dust my Broom, didn’t make the final round.

While visiting Bow, James Bow I read his reviews of the CBA finalists. After reading his take on one of the finalists, Raymi the Minx, I hopped over to her page to read what she had to say. I found the layout a little hard on the eyes, but her stream of consciousness writing reminded me a lot of my own earlier writings in high school and university. As I scrolled down to her entry from the 24th of the month, I read her comments regarding a post written by another blogger participating in the CBA‘s- Big Blue Wave.

Suzanne writes in part:

I’ll tell you the truth: I’m not so much mad that I lost in the Best Blog category, I’m just irked at the kinds of blogs I lost to.

Raymi the Minx? I never heard of her.

If I’d least lost to a political, cultural or religious blog– even those of my ideological opponents.

When I consider all the blogs in the Canadian political blogosphere…and I had to lose to that. I’m sure all her fans like her, but this is not the blogging crowd I know.

Raymi, it appears, is amused by the idea that a political or religious blogger would feel slighted at losing the nomination round to her.

i would also like to add how funny it is that these political bloggers cannot fathom losing to me, not making the top 5 cut like only just now realised how boring and vapid they are [….] i think it is important to give people a break from all the boring chaos – oh really? so and so in the house of commons said “bla bla bla” last nite and this is what you think about it and everyone in yer webring wrote the same thing today? astounding.

The exchange plays out in blog posts and comments like the obligatory flame war reminiscent of my days spent haunting Usenet in the early-to-mid 90’s.

I am amused and intrigued. It’s not the type or content of the posts and comments that have gathered my attention. What has drawn my attention is the way that our personal bias’ play out in the blogosphere and in the real world.

Raymi has a point. Many political blogs are dull. Aside from a notable few (here, here, here), most write about the same topics day after day. Often the opinion of one blogger is the same as another. I’m a politics junkie and even I will swiftly move on when I’ve encountered the same take on the same topic within a few hours span. The more successful political bloggers tend to offer a combination of politics, humour, and personality on their blogs. They’ve branched out to include more than just a narrow take (pure political opinion) on the world around them.

Of course, that’s only my opinion and aside from the value I assign to it, I doubt anyone else is interested in what I appreciate or not.

For example: the blogging world seems enchanted with Mommy and Religious bloggers. As fascinated as I am with comparative religion, I can’t stand blogs that try to espouse a specific religious view as the one true way. I’ve no interest in reading blogs of this nature and click by as quickly as possible. Same thing with Mommy bloggers. I’m not a parent. I don’t mind blogs written by parents that share stories of their children, but when the entire blog revolves around the children – as if the parental unit’s personality was absorbed – I’m completely bored.

Taking it one step further and removing blogging from the mix – we see the same elements at play in our daily lives outside of the ‘net. Take politics for example: Proponents of one political spectrum argue their superiority over one another. Liberal leaders tell us their way is the only one true way to govern a country. NDP leaders offer big ideas with little consideration on how to actually carry out these ideas (ooh, let’s negotiate with the Taliban). Conservative leaders argue for more personal accountability. It seems rare that anyone on either side of the spectrum can find common ground. They’re so busy shouting their opinion from the rooftops in the loudest voice that they’re unable to hear (let alone listen to) anyone else.

You can replay similar scenarios for nearly every topic under the sun; religion, faith, culture, language, military, fighting, war, crime, abortion, stem-cell research, smoking, drinking, drugs, etc.

The problem with opinions is that we all have them, we all think ours are the only ones that are right, and we all associate a high value to them because we have a personal attachment to our own opinions. Challenging someone’s opinion is often construed as a personal attack on the individual. We’ve invested a part of ourselves in our opinions and we have difficulty separating the opinion from the person.

Sure, our opinions can be influenced or changed over time, but that takes time and effort on the part of the persuader and a willingness on our own part to remove our blinders and earplugs. Easier said than done.

I’m biased and my opinions are coloured by my personal mores and values. I know it. You know it. The question is, are you able to admit it to yourselves and others?

Technorati Tags: Raymi the Minx, James Bow, Big Blue Wave, Canadian Blog Awards, CBA, blogging, opinion, values, self-interest, Usenet, blog war

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