Being Able to Express an Opinion

Being Able to Express an Opinion

4 December 2025

You only realize how important it is to express your opinion once that right is denied. The first time I became fully aware of this was in 2020, during a conversation with a relatively young politician from a party that presented itself as the radical alternative. The group included many young people. They had good ideas, but some views needed refinement.

I asked the politician if he wanted to hear my opinion. His answer was: “No.” You can imagine that we never had another conversation—and that I definitely did not vote for that party. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one, because the party failed to win a seat and disappeared.

Last month, it happened again. I was talking with my kompader, and two guests were present. They made bold statements without any substantiation. At one point, one of the guests exclaimed, “Listen, you’re not listening.” When I then asked if I could say something as well, the answer was again: “No.”

And just like that, the man had to leave—no time. He gave the other guest a high five on his way out. I also decided to go, because what is the point of a conversation if you’re not allowed to speak? “Maturity is learning to walk away from people and situations that threaten your peace of mind, self-respect, values, morals, or self-worth.”

I will always greet the men kindly, but a real conversation makes no sense. You never know when they will again deny you the right to speak. I don’t know if they realize it themselves, but this is what happens when people are not strong, neither intellectually nor verbally. They are not trained in dialogue or debate. They see conversation as a competition. They cannot handle cognitive dissonance and solve it through (micro)aggression by denying others the right to speak.

What happens here on the micro level also occurs at the macro level. And that means we are navigating dangerous waters.

Miguel Goede