Find Your Stance

Develop Your Political Identity and Inform Your Views

POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS

At some point in our lives, we begin to form opinions about the world around us that shape how we engage with our community and how we engage in our political system. Much of where we derive our opinions comes from the place we grew up, the way we were raised, and the experiences we've had. But, how do we go about forming opinions that aren't necessarily just regurgitating our parents' beliefs?

It's important that we form our own opinions independently, and it's equally important that we know how to make informed opinions based on a wide spectrum of available information. Inevitably, we will all come to different conclusions and have different opinions, but it's important that they are our opinions and that we know how to talk about our opinions in a nuanced and specific manner. Again, regurgitation is not encouraged!

This section of Pass the Bullhorn is intended to get your gears turning. Start to think about how you view the world and how that may or may not inform your opinions and political views. And, check out the guide below for a toolkit that you can use to critically consume media and information to stay informed.

ACTIVITY: Take 10 minutes to think about your perfect government.

Click on the image next to each question to submit your answers through Mentimeter, or follow the code at the top of each word cloud.

1

Who is in power? Who can vote? Who has citizenship?

2

How does the economy work? Who has money? How do they make money? Who controls the money?

3

What are some of the values and principles that make up the pillars of your society and culture?

REFLECT & SYNTHESIZE:

SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE ON MENTI

COMMENT AT THE SOAPBOX

A GUIDE ON HOW TO CRITICALLY DEVELOP OPINIONS

In an age of mass misinformation and information saturation, it's vital that we know how to discern between true and false and how to process what we consume. In other words, this is a guide on how to prevent brainwashing!

KNOW YOUR OWN BIASES. Everyone has them, even though you think you might be special. What's important is that we recognize our biases, that we are aware of them, and that we work through them.
BE OPEN MINDED. Having convictions is important, as is sticking to your values, but being close-minded is not! Just as you will change and the world will change, so will your opinions. Be ready and be open to learning new things—it's how we grow!
BE CURIOUS. Ask questions! Don't be afraid of not knowing something—just be curious to learn more about it. IF you have questions or you don't know much about a topic, dig into it! Someone somewhere has undoubtedly written a book, made a documentary, or made a podcast about it, so just go find it.
KNOW THE DIFFERENT SIDES TO A STORY. Though you may feel strongly one way or another, it is crucial that we know both sides of a story. This is how we become more informed and more educated.
ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY THINK. Learning from others is the best way to broaden your horizon and grow. We all view the world a little differently and we all have different life experiences. It's important that we celebrate those differences and learn from one another (though not at someone else's expense!).
ENGAGE IN DEBATE. Many people come to form their opinions in an echo chamber, whether that be their family, their school or their community. It's easy to say that you believe one thing when everyone else around you also believes that. But the real world is not so easy. People will inevitably have different opinions and will challenge your views. That is good! That is how you learn how to articulate exactly what it is you believe in and how to learn from others.