In the online world, you can’t get too far expressing your belief about something before someone else jumps in and tries to correct you. Some people believe that their opinions are more valuable than the opinions of others and will go to great lengths to make that known.
Being an opinion columnist means that I get my fair share of people who disagree with me. Before they even give my column a thorough read, they have already begun spamming my email and the comments section with a list of ways that my opinions are wrong.
It’s annoying, unproductive and, more than anything else, makes the commenter look ridiculous.
For example, I once wrote a column on whether Mike the Tiger was truly happy in his luxurious habitat. A few people chimed in to argue against me. They shared how Mike really is happy, and that he is well taken care of. They expressed that Mike is a solitary animal who likes living alone anyway.
One person even called me out saying that I do not even speak Tiger, so how would I know how Mike feels?
Ok, I admittedly don’t speak Tiger. However, you would be shocked to find out that at the end of my column, I actually expressed that I think Mike IS happy in his current environment. Every point these commenters brought up was something I had talked about in my column.
I was appalled by these comments and shocked that they so blatantly admitted to not even reading my column. This made me think about how often this actually happens. 
People will not be satisfied unless their opinions are heard, which often leads to nasty arguments as tempers and emotions flare.
Believe me, I’m not against civil discussion and difference of opinions. I think that sharing what you believe with others can lead to fantastic conversations.   
My issue lies with pride engulfing people to the point that they feel a need to put others down and shout over strangers who have differing opinions. It is frustrating when someone doesn’t actually take the time to understand something before leaving an angry comment.
One should not just jump to conclusions based on what the headlines say. That is an easy way to make yourself look like a fool.
My job is to write about my opinions. Time and time again, I have had people disagree with me, and that’s okay. I don’t aim to write articles that everyone on campus will agree with—that is just impossible.
But if you are going to disagree, then please at least read the whole thing through.
Anthony Bui is a 21-year-old English senior from Opelousas.