“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
There are no unanimous opinions. Beliefs held by 100% of the population are not called opinions, they are called facts. And other than the most elementary truths (2+2=4, the sky is blue), 100% belief in anything is becoming increasingly rare.
Change, by definition, requires us to embrace a new (or contrary) opinion. Whether we are seeking to change ourselves or the world around us, there is no transformation without the introduction of a new idea. And new ideas are almost always met with confrontation on some level.
For me, this occurred just hours after making the decision to remove our unneeded possessions and pursue minimalism. I made a phone call to my mom to tell her the news. She was less than excited. She had plenty of preconceived notions about minimalism—at one point even wondering aloud how we were going to eat if we stopped going to the grocery store.
We laugh about it now, but in the moment, it was significant. Only hours into my journey, I was forced to decide if I would succumb to the pressure of popular opinion or if I would pursue what my heart was telling me to be true.
To be fair, years later, I have learned to present minimalism differently and cut off many of the most common objections before they even surface. Nowadays, rare is the individual who argues vehemently against my understanding and case for minimalism. I have learned to promote the positives of minimalism rather than the negatives of consumerism.
However, on a macro-level, the objections refuse to slow. The stakes are just too high. There are businesses and economies and governments and personal livelihoods based on the pursuit of consumption and mass production. The introduction of any idea that seeks to tear it all down will be met with confrontation. It will require us to stand firm against the sway of popular opinion.
How then, in the case of pursuing simplicity, do we hold an unpopular opinion? How do we stand firm against the sway of popular opinion in this regard or any other? Whether we are in conversation with family and friends, attempting to live in a countercultural manner, or alone battling our own thoughts, here are some helpful principles to remember.
How to Hold an Unpopular Opinion
1. Celebrate your uniqueness. Your life was never meant to be lived like everyone else. You don’t look the same, you don’t sound the same, and your deepest-held values are unique. Throwing that away just to conform to popular opinion is one of the cruelest things you can ever do. And it will always prevent you from living your fullest life.
2. Remember popularity and accuracy are not the same. As the proverb goes, “Don’t think you’re on the right road just because it’s a well-beaten path.” Our desire should be to discover and hold the right opinions, not just the prevailing ones.
3. Count the benefits. Discover, remember, and focus on the benefits of your belief structure. Be able to quickly articulate to yourself and others why you hold the position that you do by embracing the positives. In the case of minimalism, whenever I explain my countercultural decision to others, I always highlight the benefits of owning less. It helps makes a stronger case for the lifestyle in both my mind and theirs.
4. Find strength in community. Unpopular is not the same as alone. From politics to religion to world views, there is no shortage of opinions available in our world. And almost certainly, while unpopular, there are others who believe the same as you. Find them. And discover greater resolve because of it.
5. Understand the counterarguments. Thinking critically and asking questions go hand in hand. Know your opinion, but work hard to understand the case and arguments against it. If you are right, you have nothing to fear. If you are wrong, you have everything to gain.
6. Hold opinions humbly. When discussing opinions of any kind, exercise humility with others and with yourself. We live our lives with certain assumptions and biases based on experiences. Sometimes these experiences lead us to truth, but other times they lead us away from it. Find the proper balance of humility and fierce resolve in all of your opinions.
7. Present your case boldly. I think owning less is a better way to live. Because of this opinion, I feel a responsibility to tell others and present the case for it whenever possible. Inviting others to a better way of life is an act of love. We must see it as such and stand firm in the face of opposition. This obligation remains true whether we are speaking of minimalism or countless other unpopular opinions.
Your life is valuable. It is the greatest asset you own. And it holds potential for great things.
Don’t slip into mediocrity by living your life based solely on popular opinion. (tweet that)
I really loved it. I think i also have many rarest unpopular opinions but feel crashed when i see people saying my opposite and i feel that my opinion is not valuable. Thank you so much. By the way Eid Mubarak.???ALHAMDULILLAH!
This is a great post. I struggle so much with this, not only because of our minimalist lifestyle, but because of our political, religious and health/nutrition beliefs. We are at odds with most of our family and friends, and try to reach out in love, but we are instead perceived as judging them. In the last 10 years, we’ve lost many friends because we think differently. We try very hard not to impose our lifestyle or way of thinking on others. But we’ve been judged, ridiculed, yelled at, and ignored because of it. For the most part, I’ve learned to let people in my life talk about their beliefs, and I keep quiet about mine. It’s very isolating at times. Our faith sees us through. :-)
One thing that I really appreciate about this blog and the postings is that not only are people getting rid of excess but many are sharing with those in need. For me this helps to begin to adjust the extreme imbalance of have’s and have nots. In my perfect world, everyone would own the exact amount of needed good, there would be no lack and therefore, there would be no war, crime or disease caused by fear of lack. I know that may seem pretty far fetched but any move in that direction is encouraging. I too love the idea of having someone donate to charity rather than get me any more just for fun uneeded stuff.
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As for holding unpopular opinions, I’m a devout, pro-life, Catholic minimalist. Suffering for my beliefs is a way of life for me. Faith carries me through all obstacles I face as a Catholic and as a minimalist.
I accidentally stumbled on your website because i am looking for guidance on always having the unpopular opinion.
For three days in a row, me and my wife are always arguing about her family or job(we work together). And its about me not agreeing with the easy decision/s.
Number 6, imho, is the single most important part of this article. I need to try that, but how do we find the balance?
I too stumbled upon your site…….I’m opinionated I admit it, and mostly I am right…..happy to indulge other opinions….mmmm
I always need evidence…….
It is very difficult to hold onto your personal beliefs when it seems like the whole world is obsessed with more, more, more. I find contentment in small things, the things I value the most such as my family and the relationships that I have with them. I also greatly value the wisdom passed down to me from previous generations. It seems like the world is always chasing youth but if true wisdom is what you want, you need to go the other direction. Thanks for your blog, it has been a great blessing to me. I didn’t even know there was a such thing as minimalism until I stumbled on this blog. It has helped me define who I am even more than I already had.
Rebecca
I am always curious about what people mean when they use the term minimalist. Do you mean that we should rid ourselfs of everything we own, or do you mean that we should seek to rid ourselfs of things that don’t bring us pleasure and joy? I surround myself with things that give me joy, are beautiful and or useful. I have lived in small spaces in order to be able to have just what I need to bring me joy. I would not be happy if my house was bare of all except that which is needed to function. I live in an environment that gives me joy. My current home is around 700sf and is filled with things that give me joy, much of it acquired over the last 40 years. I can’t imagine life without my favorite chair, my books, favorite teapot and my grandfather clock ticking in the background.
I think that is what minimalism is, keeping only the things that give you joy or are the bare essentials.
minimalism is getting rid of the things you never use but have not gotten rid of even though you cannot explain why they are still around.
getting rid of the things you thought you had to have to be happy.
but even looking at the things that you say give you joy, if a thief were to break in and steal that thing right now…would your joy be any less?
love this – thank you! very insightful