Let's think about this question a little bit, shall we? This is something I genuinely don't understand. I do not know why it is ok and encouraged to present honest positive opinions, but rude and mean and thoughtless to present honest negative opinions.
Let's give a little example, shall we?
Opinion 1:
"I like your music"
Opinion 2:
"I don't like your music"
Is there ANY difference? I mean, I suppose it's one thing if it's completely random and unasked for (although, it is socially acceptable to give random unasked for positive opinions, but WHATEVER). Let's specify it for places that are designed for leaving opinions. For instance, let's take one of the most vicious, idiot-ridden and competitive places on the internet: YouTube comment sections.
This might fuck your mind a little bit, but the comment sections are there so that people can say things about your video. You are SUPPOSED to leave opinions there. And believe it or not, sometimes people have negative opinions. Which means that we are literally giving special privileges to people who enjoyed the video. Look at it this way: people get pissed off when someone leaves a negative comment on a video, right? So therefore they think people shouldn't ever leave negative comments. By that logic, either a) People are not allowed to have negative opinions, EVER, or b) People are not allowed on the comment section unless they happen to like the video.
(the same logic applies to anywhere else where you are supposed to leave opinions, and yet people get angry if you are negative).
Here's an argument that might crop up around this point in the conversation:
"But negative comments hurt people's feelings"
Really? Ok, yes. Yes they hurt people's feelings. But do they hurt people in the long run?
Believe me when i say I've been the subject of much criticism. People have said I'm weird (in a bad way), people have said I'm mean, people have said I'm ignorant, people have said I'm ugly, people have said I dress badly, people have called me annoying MANY times. It hurt. A lot. I once cried in my bathroom for a few hours because of people hurting me that way. But you know what came of that?
The negative opinions given to me benefited me in the long run
A person once told me they didn't like my poetry. I got hurt, stormed off in a huff for a bit, felt bad about my writing skills for a bit. But then, I worked harder on my poetry and improved it. My poetry got better. many people told me they disliked my makeup. I got insulted, felt bad about myself, got pretty hurt for a while (makeup used to be a big thing with me). But then it made me take a closer look at what I was wearing, and realize that it really was bad - and so my makeup skills improved, and I no longer go to school looking like a clown. Many, many, many people have told me that i am annoying. This has made me take more caution with what I say and how I act, and pay more attention to how people see me. It all benefits you in the long run.
So, that argument is invalid. Let's move on to the next one.
"People should be allowed to disagree with you if you have a negative opinion and you have a positive one".
That is absolutely true. I am all for a good debate. Notice the key word Debate. If you want to have a shouting match with some person on YouTube, go ahead, but it's pretty freakin hypocritical to insult the insulter for insulting if you ask me. For further information on the topic of real debating as opposed to Caps Lock Competitions, please see this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWPWrV9sO_w
Anyways, let's move on.
I would now like to discuss a popular saying:
"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".
Um, why? Are you telling me that everyone should be nice to each other, all the time, no matter what? Because that's a horrible idea. As I explained above, honest insults are what make you work harder to improve. But more than that, what are you supposed to do if you don't eve have anything nice to say? Just shut up and let the nicey-niceys take over? Does anyone with frequently negative opinions just not have a right to speak? Personally, I am a very loud and outspoken person. I will say what's on my mind, period. And what is on my mind is not always nice. Sometimes it is nice - I do give my share of compliments. But sometimes it is not. I'm not going to just bite my lip and let them go around thinking they're the best writer ever with an essay that looks like a second grader wrote it, or the prettiest girl in the world with hooker makeup plastered over their face, or a badass swagger with their pants hanging off their butt! I am going to tell them, no. That is not good.
Look. It's all opinions. JUST opinions. We all know what opinions are, right? We all know what subjective means, right? If the person to whom you're directing the opinion is stupid enough to take it as fact, then is it really your fault? If it's just one person, it shouldn't be too hurtful for them. If it's many people, then they have a right to know, don't they?
In conclusion, positive and negative opinions are the same thing, except equally opposite. Whether on one side of the spectrum or the other, they are just opinions, and should be treated as such.
Thank you for reading.
