Two days before my high school
economics final, my buddy, Noah, who’d taken the course the previous semester, told me he’d gotten an A on the final without even studying. According to him, every question on the
multiple-choice final was followed by “four ridiculous, incorrect answer
choices.” It sounded like some easy
process of elimination was all I needed to do just as well.
When I took the final two days
later, I realized that Noah was a lot smarter than I was.
I hadn’t considered the
source. Noah was the kind of kid who could
breeze through a multiple-choice test without studying. He later went to Reed
College, where he spent four years surrounded by other wonderfully quirky and
intellectual students who would much rather read, think and discuss than take
multiple-choice tests.
When you’re in high school, your
friends will share a lot of strong opinions, some informed, some not.
That teacher is terrible.
That course is easy.
My counselor doesn’t do anything.
That kid is great to hang out with.
That kid is dull.
That college has an ugly campus.
That college needs journalism majors.
All the football players are stupid.
That kid got into Harvard because of his ethnicity.
People are entitled to their
opinions. But acting on other peoples' opinions can get
you into trouble. Before you change your
thinking or your actions based on a friend’s opinion, consider the source. Ask questions. Look for more information. And think about the information yourself
before you just blindly take it on.