Whose Voices are in Your Head?

One of the greatest aspects of my little life centered here at home is the relative ease with which I can keep opinions, criticisms, and judgments out of my existence. There are times, of course, when I drag them in, and—even worse—times when I am the one sharing them. I can see each slide back into the nasty world of mimetic desire, though, as an unpleasant reminder of how most of the world works and let it inspire me to try harder.

Roger Scruton wrote, “When I put my trust in a critic, this is tantamount to saying that I defer to his judgement, even when I have made no judgement of my own. But my own judgment waits upon experience.”

Opinions are a dime a dozen, and thanks to social media, they are just about impossible to avoid, but do they hold any value? If so, how much and for whom?