Know Thyself-my "wordy" original

Know Thyself
How does anyone come to form an opinion on an issue? Choosing a side on a debatable topic can say a lot about a certain persons’ morals and beliefs, thus explaining why it is so important to become as informed upon an issue as possible. On an issue, such as the death penalty, every detail is important to shaping an opinion. In terms of the issue, it is important to look at all sides before developing an opinion on the subject; a person should be well informed on the issue at hand in order to develop an opinion that is not ignorant. Although facts are important, so are the people that are around you: parents, teachers, and other mentor figures shape the views of those that look up to them. Regardless of whether or not a person is aware of it, they are being influenced to believe a certain thing some way or another. However, even with the persuasion of others, it is always important to look at one’s own personal beliefs before debating an issue. One must look to concrete facts and evidence, which contribute to each argument, speak to surrounding significant members of society, and look at personal morals and beliefs and see where they fit in terms of the issue.
When first developing an opinion on the issue of the death penalty, I wanted to make sure that I had my facts right. The media can say a lot of different, and often contradictory, “facts”; it is therefore vital to be certain that you are getting the right, accurate information. Faulty information from the media tends to mislead people into believing something that may not, in fact, be true. I managed to look at specific articles that were credible sources on both sides of the issue. I made sure to look at every angle on this issue before forming an opinion, taking both sides into consideration. If a person chooses only to become well informed on one side of the issue, they are being ignorant. Without knowing “all the facts” so to speak, one can never develop a strong, credible opinion. I can see how wrong it is to commit the crime of homicide, I can understand that those people are not deserving of a life of their own. I can see both sides of the issue at hand, but in the end, the idea behind wanting to take a person’s life for committing a crime like this seems illogical and faulty. Both sides of the argument make valid points on the matter, but when it came down to it, it seemed to me as though there were a lot less actual points in terms of keeping the death penalty in my opinion. However, it is important that I did take the time to learn and understand both sides of the issue; had I not done so, my opinion would be completely disregarded in society as uninformed.
Another huge influence on my decision on the death penalty is the people that I surround myself with. It is important to develop your own opinion on the matter, but it is almost impossible to be completely uninfluenced by the people you come in contact with, whether it be parents, teachers, peers, or anyone else you have daily social contact with. Coming from a private, conservative prep school with two very liberal teachers as parents helped shape my opinion on the subject matter. When first asked about the opinion, it was natural for me to immediately take the side of my parents. They have had the greatest impact on shaping my opinions on debatable issues more than any other source, and I have come to respect their opinions. I then look towards my peers for influence, most of who were strictly for the death penalty. Their inability to look at the other side of the argument seemed to completely turn me off to even considering the opinion that the death penalty can be justified. Narrow-minded people have a tendency to anger me either way, even if they have the same beliefs I do, it is never a good thing to be completely close-minded on any subject. I also was influenced by other mentor-like figures, such as coaches, and teachers that I highly respected, when making my opinion. I took into account those whom I admired and what their thoughts on the subject are. I figured that since I had so much respect for them, their opinions were some of the most important things to consider.
The final factor I used to determine my opinion was considering my own morals and beliefs. Although I stated earlier that it is important to take into account what others believe, it is also important to uphold your own values. When it came to an issue such as the death penalty, even being uninformed and without being completely bias, I always went back to my beliefs that killing another human is always considered wrong, no matter the context. I personally cannot understand why anyone would want to kill another human being, no matter the situation; and that is what helped form my opinion that the death penalty is wrong. I would never want to jeopardize my own beliefs based on what other people had to say about an issue; I have no problem respecting their thoughts, and taking them into consideration, but I always have to consider my own morals on the subject. The same goes for anyone else: without considering personal beliefs, your opinions will not truly be your opinions. They will just be opinions based on facts and the thoughts of others, not necessarily personal and not actually reflecting the person that you are. My own personal beliefs are always what end up determining where I stand on any issue in the end. If I feel something is wrong because of what I believe, regardless of what it is, I will probably always feel that I must take my own feelings into consideration before deciding which side to take on the matter.
However, all three factors really contribute to one another in forming my opinion. I cannot seem to look at one without taking the other two into consideration. If I am looking at hard evidence for an opposing view point, I always have to consider in the back of my mind what my own morals and beliefs say on the issue as well as what my peers and mentors would say. And if I attempt to form an opinion based strictly on fact or based on the opinion of another, then is it really my opinion? It cannot be because it does not reflect my own personal morals and beliefs. By looking at all three of these factors, I try to manage to get a complete and total look on the issue. In terms of the death penalty, I make sure that I have looked at all of the facts before applying a bias opinion formed by my mentors. I also make sure to keep in mind my values on the subject: no matter how much a person may “deserve” to die, that does not necessarily make it right. My personal beliefs have always taught me that killing is wrong. The three work hand in hand to help determine an opinion.
There are many ways a person can go about forming their own opinion on an issue. For me, I always make sure to use credible information to look at both sides of the issue in order to make sure I fully comprehend each side. I also make sure to consider what my peers and mentors have to say on the issue. If I respect a person, then their opinion is very important to me. Finally, I make sure to take my own morals and beliefs into consideration and see where they fit in terms of the issue. By combining these three factors, I manage to consider all options and sides of the debatable question without forgetting my own beliefs, and I am therefore able to form my own personal opinion on the matter.