Re: I no longer care

Gordon's post, I no longer care (opens in a new tab), resonated as I'm also getting older and of the same age as him. I think the difference between 32-year-old me and 52-year-old me is that I still care about some things. It's just that I no longer feel the need to broadcast my opinion as loudly.

Atheism is what comes to mind as I say that. Back in my 30s, I felt the need to be very out and loud and confrontational about it. I grew up in a small southern town in Tennessee. They're all very religious, so I felt I needed to be just as not-religious as they were religious.

I was very much a militant atheist in the mold of Dawkins, Hitchens, etc. I had all their arguments memorized and could argue them as well as anyone. I devoured many of their books and talks online. In retrospect, I think I was pretty anti-religious. I didn't want to be around it. I didn't want to hear about it. I certainly didn't want to see the Ten Commandments in the public schools or the manger scene on the courthouse lawn. There was a time where I was wondering how could I be friends with anyone who thought in such a silly and stupid manner.

I'm still atheist, but I'm not so militant about it. Someone can talk about their religion around me and I probably won't even huff or roll my eyes about it. People can be religious and I won't think them silly or stupid. I can have religious friends or just be around religion without shouting but what about the magic teapot?!

As I've gotten older, I'm more secure in how I feel about things. That's not to say I don't enjoy a good discussion about important topics. If someone gives me a good argument and good evidence, I think I can change my mind about things. But the thing is, I don't need to hear what other people think before forming my own opinion.

For example, my politics lean liberal progressive, but I don't think the police should be defunded. They actually need more funding if we want them to get the training they need. They need to hire more and better people. If there's an emergency happening at my house and I'm calling the police, then I want people with guns to show to help me thank you please. What do the defund the police people want? If I'm calling the police, something is bad wrong and I need someone other than a social worker or a crisis counselor to show up!

And to use the car example that Gordon alluded to, I actually think the minivan is the superior form of personal transportation. Minivans stopped being soccer mom style decades ago. Now soccer mom style is mid-sized, generic SUVs. They look like minivans, but they're smaller and with way less utility. Guys, I can haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood in our Pacifica!!! I can haul our friends around. I can go van camping! This thing is the best. I don't care that uninformed and unenlightened people do not like minivans. I think they're awesome.

And I think I'll just stop there, before this becomes a list of my unpopular opinions.

How has your opinion on things changed over the years?