Challenge Your Own Opinions

Being Critical of Our Own Opinions: A Skill for Divided Times

We live in a time where opinions are everywhere — loud, fast, and often absolute. In such a polarized world, one of the most powerful acts we can take for our mental health and relationships is this:

🧠 Pause, reflect, and examine our own thinking.

It’s human to form quick opinions — our brains are wired to make sense of complex situations efficiently. But when we stop questioning our assumptions, we risk falling into rigidity, defensiveness, and disconnection. It’s vital to be critical of our own opinions and those of others. Leading with curiousity can lead us to see the gaps in our own and others thinking.

🔍 Why Self-Reflection Matters

Psychologically, the ability to think critically about our own beliefs is linked to:

• Greater cognitive flexibility

• Lower levels of anxiety and defensiveness

• Better emotional regulation

• Healthier, more respectful communication

It also helps us stay open — which is essential when navigating difference, whether in personal relationships, communities, or the broader world.

🗣️ Ask Yourself:

• What emotions are fueling this opinion?

• Where did I first learn this belief?

• Could the opposite be true in some situations?

• Am I responding with curiosity or certainty?

These questions aren’t about abandoning your values — they’re about making room for complexity, nuance, and growth.

🤝 Inner Work Supports Outer Connection

The more self-aware we become, the less likely we are to react out of fear, ego, or past pain. In therapy, we often explore not just what people believe, but why — and how those beliefs have been shaped by experience, culture, trauma, or identity.

Being critical of our own opinions isn’t weakness. It’s psychological maturity.

📍At Mend Psychology in Bridgeland, Calgary, we support clients in building insight, flexibility, and connection — within themselves and with others.