Here it is: my opinion about not having an opinion.

Brought to you by all the people who can’t walk away from an argument, even when they have no idea what they are talking about.

I’ve been ribbed on various occasions for being “apathetic” because I do not have an opinion on every issue. But here’s the deal: It’s not that I’m apathetic; it’s just that I’ve come to terms with the fact that I don’t know everything.

There seems to be this expectation that we, as citizens of the United States, need to believe strongly one way or another on every issue someone sets in front of us.

Maybe it’s because, with all the media surrounding us, we’re expected to know more about what’s going on in the world.

But, in all honesty, how much is that really helping us out? We’re just reading dumb headlines on Yahoo! as they scroll by us and calling ourselves informed.

And before half the people reading this get offended and think “Hey, I read the news. I pay attention,” let me just say some of the most informed people I know make this same mistake.

It’s important to remember that, sometimes, not knowing how you feel about a certain issue is not a bad thing.

Of course, we should be as informed as possible, especially with all this information just a few taps away on our iPhones. But being truly informed and aware means you’re always learning more. The world is always changing, and there’s always more to know.

The same goes for people. You might not agree with the way someone lives his life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be open to listening to what he has to say.

Just because he isn’t living the same life as you doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a reason for doing so.

Being extremely stubborn about an issue you know next to nothing about isn’t a sign of strength — it’s a sign of ignorance and closed-mindedness.

Not to mention it’s difficult to argue a point when you don’t even understand where your opponent is coming from.

Understanding the other side of an argument makes your argument even stronger, and sometimes, you might be surprised to find out your opinion can change.

And that’s true awareness.