[tsa]

I find The Lord of the Rings boring. I didn't finish the book. I went to the first movie, and I was very happy that we could leave the cinema when that was over.

Another impopular opinion: I hate the way animal organizations like the World Wildlife Fund use cuddly young fluffy animals in trying to pry money form us.

[Squinky]

Originally Posted by Not A Speck Of Cereal

Sqinky, you got some 'splainin' to do. Could you expound on that?

My unpopular opinion is that I'd rather just leave the sentence to stand on its own, and allow the reader to discover its meaning for him/herself.

[UPtimist]

The first things that come to mind would be agreeing with some opinions of Pentti Linkola

Not the most extreme ones, but for example, people shouldn't have more than two children.

I somewhat think that much of the aid to developing countries should be stopped, aside from education and birth control and nature conservational stuff. But that's only to some extent, it is important to keep the living conditions in such, eh, condition that the birth rate isn't so high and that overpopulation would stop. And also that the nature would be saved, instead of the current destruction of it.

Well, that's what first comes to mind.

[Davies]

I find myself listening to RLacey and nodding...

Children are, essentially, undomesticated animals. If they are to become human, they need consistent training and discipline as they develop. And for children too young to reason, this means a simple routine of reward and punishment. Better to suffer a smack on the bottom than the results of poking a fork into the electrical outlet.

I dislike children. Babies literally turn my stomach and make my flesh creep. And I think this is a perfectly valid opinion to have. Not everyone likes snakes and rats, so why should everyone be expected to like babies and children?

Most of the world's problems are caused by human overpopulation. The best thing that could happen to the human species would be a rain of meteors of just the right size to kill off about three-quarters of the world population. (I'll leave it to each of you individually to decide which three-quarters you want killed off.)

Of course, the best thing that could happen to the world in general is that the entire human species was killed off.

Humans are just another species of animal, and they have already existed for the average amount of time that any species exists on this planet. It is highly unlikely that they will last for any great length of time more. It makes me laugh to watch "serious" science documentaries about what people will do to save themselves when the Sun begins to burn out. How can anyone honestly think humans will still be around after four billion years?

Chewing gum should be made strictly illegal. A person chewing a cud of gum is disgusting to hear, ugly to see, and stinks.

As for me personally, I have no fear of death, but do fear certain ways of dying. I would like to be remembered after my death, but doubt that I will be. And I can't think of any level of wealth that would be excessive. (Some people say they don't want to be rich, they just want to do good. But in this world, the richer you are, the more good you can do if you want to.)

[Jazhara7]

I can't read Hemingway. The books are interesting, but his style of writing is so grating to me, with endless narrative, that I feel my brain is pushed through a meat grinder. I just can't read it.

I enjoy Harry Potter. I am not saying it is the answer to all questions or something, but I do enjoy reading it. And that's all. I also don't think that Harry Potter has made children read more. Most likely, once the they have read the last book, they will not read any more than they read before that. And if they read, it won't be a different genre, or on a higher level for most of them. It's a far step from Harry Potter to Kafka or even Jules Verne.

I do not enjoy those books intended for teenagers, with the topic "First love". There's a whole series of them by different authors by one company, and I stay away from them. They are decorated with hearts. And I'm glad to know people know that that's not my type of book, even without me telling them. I once won one of those books at a school tombola, and when the teacher gave me the prize, he said: "Oh, I guess this isn't really your type." He actually apologised that I won that book. But it wasn't his fault. I haven't read it to this day, though.

Originally Posted by Lucien21

Dammit, I thought nobody saw me.

You play the bagpipes very well. Feel free to come again!


-

[Fairygdmther]

I don't believe in heaven or hell, just an 'interlife' state, where you learn from your mistakes.

I believe in legalization of abortions, prostitution, all drugs, and marriage between two or more consenting adults, with all the privileges of bigender marriages. I believe that contraception should be mandatory and those wishing to have children should apply for the privilege, and be monitored for their care of any children that they have. Anyone who physically, emotionally or sexually abuses a child, or neglects a child should be severely punished.

I believe that there should be a major upheaval in the legal profession that should be taken to control for the lack of ethical behavior - sort of a Better Business Bureau for lawyers, with monetary and other punitive treatments. The same would be appropriate for doctors and pharmaceutical companies.

I believe that the Jehovah's Witnesses, and other bible thumpers should be fined for every home where they disturb the privacy of people in their homes.

I believe that we should in the USA, eliminate the electoral college in presidential elections - let people vote for their favorite candidate, even if there are 18 choices on the ballot. Eliminate the 8 yr limit to any person's term of office in the presidency. After each two years allow the people to vote that they 'stay' or 'go' for two more years. I would like to see a longer term for the reason that no one in politics can see any further than the length of their term - and there is absolutely no such thing as long term planning in this country.

I want to see universal health care, being one of the 40 mil Americans without health coverage.

Those are my biggies, but I know there are more.

FGM

[SSH]

Titanic was a good movie

Religious people should be allowed to believe what they like, including that other people are wrong in what they do or believe

The Thread will never die

[Jeysie]

My main peeve with spanking is that it simply doesn't work. Most of the brattiest kids I know are the ones whose parents spank them. I was a brat myself, and spanking didn't work on me either... all I did was try to find ways to not get caught/dodge out of the punishment. Or, when I was really little, I'd cry and wonder why daddy/mommy was hitting me.

The few kids I know who were "well-behaved" because of spanking were so because they were afraid of their parents, not because they actually believed what they did was wrong. Any time they were certain they wouldn't get caught, they'd want to do whatever it is their parents didn't like.

It was the times that my parents actually *explained* why my behavior was unacceptable that I changed. When I experienced for myself why going to bed early was a good idea, I started doing so without complaint. When I got caught shoplifting and my mom explained why it was bad, I stopped doing it. When I suddenly realized as a teenager how horrifically bad my bratty behavior had been all those years, I did almost a complete 180 in personality.

Plus, my mom gave me a lot of freedom when I became a teen, and it was explained full well that that freedom was contingent on me not abusing it. Something most of my friends never understood, when I had to explain why I didn't use that freedom to party or joyride. I never rebelled as a teen, either, because there was nothing for me to rebel *against*.

But spanking? Nope, never did a thing.

***

Anyhoo. Getting back to the thread subject... for one I agree with FGM's assertion about universal health care. I've been without health insurance for 11 years because I've never worked in a job that offered affordable insurance. And there's all the classic truths... emergency rooms are badly clogged because people with no insurance have to use them for non-emergency problems. Or they simply don't get help at all until whatever they have wrong *does* become an emergency... and then it either takes much more effort to fix, or the person dies from something that could have been treated if taken care of earlier.

Massachusetts gets some plus points for realizing that lack of universal health coverage is a problem. However, they get lots of minus points by, instead of setting up a state-wide universal health care system, they mandate by law you have to have health insurance, even if you can't afford it, or you get a hefty fine. Way to go, morons.

I also agree with giving fines to witnessers. I vote we fine door-to-door salesmen, too. If you want to preach your religion or hock your wares, fine, but you can do so in a manner where if I want to learn more, I come to *you*, rather than you impinging on *me*.

Plus... dude, seriously. Are there really that many adults out there in developed countries who haven't heard of all the major religions? If we're curious, we'll come to your church and ask you, honest.

Peace & Luv, Liz

[Erwin_Br]

Most of the opinions I've read so far, I completely agree with...

Should... Should I be worried?

--Erwin

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by Squinky

I have absolutely no desire to boss people around, instead preferring to assume that people are intelligent and perfectly capable of making their own decisions. This is one of the reasons why the idea of having children scares me.

In my book, raising children has very little to do with bossing people around if that's any comfort Squinks.

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by Davies

Children are, essentially, undomesticated animals. If they are to become human, they need consistent training and discipline as they develop. And for children too young to reason, this means a simple routine of reward and punishment. Better to suffer a smack on the bottom than the results of poking a fork into the electrical outlet.

I know this is an unpopular opinion thread, but I just have to say that:
I can't stess enough how much I loath statements like that! Either your joke escaped me totally or you must be pretty much without any experience or awareness of children in general.

I dislike children. Babies literally turn my stomach and make my flesh creep. And I think this is a perfectly valid opinion to have. Not everyone likes snakes and rats, so why should everyone be expected to like babies and children?

You don't think your opinions about children is clouding your judgement about how they should be raised. You obviously compare them to animals.

Originally Posted by Jeysie

My main peeve with spanking is that it simply doesn't work. Most of the brattiest kids I know are the ones whose parents spank them. I was a brat myself, and spanking didn't work on me either... all I did was try to find ways to not get caught/dodge out of the punishment. Or, when I was really little, I'd cry and wonder why daddy/mommy was hitting me.

The few kids I know who were "well-behaved" because of spanking were so because they were afraid of their parents, not because they actually believed what they did was wrong. Any time they were certain they wouldn't get caught, they'd want to do whatever it is their parents didn't like.

It was the times that my parents actually *explained* why my behavior was unacceptable that I changed. When I experienced for myself why going to bed early was a good idea, I started doing so without complaint. When I got caught shoplifting and my mom explained why it was bad, I stopped doing it. When I suddenly realized as a teenager how horrifically bad my bratty behavior had been all those years, I did almost a complete 180 in personality.

Plus, my mom gave me a lot of freedom when I became a teen, and it was explained full well that that freedom was contingent on me not abusing it. Something most of my friends never understood, when I had to explain why I didn't use that freedom to party or joyride. I never rebelled as a teen, either, because there was nothing for me to rebel *against*.

But spanking? Nope, never did a thing.

OK, forumites. Those of you who know me know that this is a hot topic for me. I haven't got the time to jump into this argument and I've more or less promised myself not to get into the should you smack children -flamewar ever again. I'm on holiday and am just catching a few minutes by the computer at the hotel lobby. Thanks anyway Jeysie for sharing your experiences. I share the notion that coropral punishment doesn't work in child raising.

[Trumgottist]

Originally Posted by Erwin_Br

Most of the opinions I've read so far, I completely agree with...

Should... Should I be worried?

--Erwin

Many of the expressed opinions, I find strange to call unpopular. In some cases, I'd even say it's the most popular opinions that are expressed.

For other opinions, what's popular depends a lot on context.

[Jeysie]

You are welcome, Jelena. I have to admit that the assertion that children are animals perplexes me a great deal.

I am rather fond of children myself... not because they are cute or lovable or innocent or any of the usual answers, but because they tend to present an intellectually delightful purity of thought in the strictest sense.

The ability to see everything as a new, wonderous, and exciting experience... the ability to reason creatively and come up with notions that, though often wrong, possess an intriguing chain of logic... the ability to take reality and pretend/turn it into something greater than it really is... the ability to look past all the things we take for granted and actually *see* what lies at the core of it. It's no coincidence, after all, that it was a child who pointed out that the Emperor, in his new clothes, was actually naked.

These are things that, in my experience, most children possess in some degree or another... and all things that, instead of being refined and channeled through experience and knowledge, are all too often buried under fear, societal conditioning, and disillusionment. Instead of teaching how to apply "play" to "work", we quash play entirely and call it "maturity".

Sometimes I look at the creative works I did as a child, shake my head in wonder, and weep for the loss of it. Not because it was brilliant (it wasn't), but because I see a spark there that *could* have been brilliant if I had shaped it with experience. Instead, I've had so many locks placed on my brain due to my experiences that I've almost lost that spark completely.

Wait, this is the "unpopular opinions" thread, not the "wax philosophical" thread. Well, maybe this is an unpopular opinion in and of itself... the thought that "play" and "maturity" are not and should not be mutually exclusive. Hedonism is not always the irresponsible and wanton philosophy it's painted as.

Peace & Luv, Liz

[Squinky]

I think that we adventure gamers in general are an unpopular bunch.

Also, celibacy is underrated.

And most children I grew up with in elementary school were uncultured, uncreative brutes who just couldn't wait to be teenagers. Bleh.

[jacog]

It was a pack of children who tried to kill our youngest kitty. That aside though I too am with Davies on the children thing. Perhaps it's not such an unpopular opinion after all.

[tsa]

I like this thread.

[SSH]

Here's an unpopular opinion:

Those with ridiculous right-wing reactionary views develop deluded persecution complexes and hence perceive their populist views as unpopular.

and another:

Those who have never brought up kids should refrain from expressing their ignoranceopinions on childrearing matters.

[Squinky]

Popularity is in the eye of the beholder.

Winking smiley faces often make me want to offer eyedrops to the person who uses them.

[Lucien21]

Global Warming is a myth.

[Hammerite]

I'm not really interested in having a one-night stand, quite an unpopular opinion amongst many a person of my age.