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Everyone is entitled to having their own beliefs. Some people keep them to themselves. Some like to blare them out every chance they get. And others have views so unconventional, they completely go against the status quo.

When not every opinion is greeted with open arms, we’re lucky to have the internet where we can spark a discussion with complete strangers. There’s an Instagram account dedicated to sharing some of the best posts from the popular subreddit called Unpopular opinion. From electric vehicles to stuffed animals, members of this community have something to say about virtually any aspect of life.

So get ready to dive into some of the best posts this account had to offer. Upvote the ones you agree with, and, if you want to stir some emotions, share your own disputable views in the comments below. Psst! After you’re done, be sure to check out Part 1 of this post right here.

Sometimes, we're discouraged from expressing our unpopular opinions because of the adverse reactions we might get from the people around us. Whether we’re talking about politics, religion, or popular culture, sharing our deepest beliefs can make someone feel pretty irritated. 

However, while some end up scratching their heads from confusion, others see a like-minded person and gladly show their support in heated discussions. After all, a controversial point of view does not instantly mean that it’s uncommon. When you push your fears of being the odd one to the side, it’s much likely you'll encounter others sharing the same thoughts as you. 

Brandwatch, a digital consumer intelligence company, was on a mission to investigate the most popular unpopular opinions on social media. They looked at consumers’ mentions from January 1 to June 30, 2020, excluding news, retweets, and shares. Results showed that 1.6M people shared their controversial beliefs in this period. Also, there were 34% more mentions during the lockdown compared to the four months prior. 

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When it comes to the topics people touch on, the top ones were about characters in pop culture, TV shows, dislike of fandoms, and books. People shared their complaints about some of the bestsellers of the century and aired their grievances about how some shows have become outdated. For example, 34K mentions called out Friends "for being hugely popular, despite some aspects not being acceptable today." 

The researchers also looked into Reddit, where 958K users shared their gripes. "It seems like lockdown got to Reddit users, too. Posts to r/UnpopularOpinions increased 105%." They found that many of these mentions touched on things that happened on the platform itself. Most of them were focused on sports players, subreddits, and seeing change as not being good. 

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#9

What Are Your Thoughts On Male Birth Control ?

r_unpopular.opinion Report

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dean tirmizi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read a quote before, wouldn't it be safer to fire blanks at someone than fire bullets at someone with a bullet proof vest

Katiekat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

VASECTOMIES FOR THE WIN! What's that? You say it's your body, and no one can tell you what to do with it? GOSH, as a woman, I just can't relate at all to that! LOL Just remember, folks, no pregnancy can happen without the presence of sperm. GET SNIPPED.

J. Normal
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He can't... what if he gets married and the woman wants children... or what if he meets mrs right and she wants children? No Doctor will give him one.... OH WAIT I mixed up the genders.

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Got Myself 4 Dwarves
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Totally agree - birth control has failed for me twice, resulting in my youngest two children - two different kinds of birth control at that - I'm now sterilised as I can't afford physically to have another child - but I'm so fed up of the responsibility always being mine - I was a tad upset that my husband wouldn't get the snip - I probably would've ended up getting sterilised anyway for peace of mind but I've had 4 children, I've carried them, birthed them, breastfed them for years of my life and taken tablets, had contraptions inserted into my cervix, had injections with horrid side effects I just had to ride out for months - my body has been through enough and at that point I really didn't want to go through anymore, but I did, and it floored me for months - I also have fibromyalgia and as such the recovery just took forever as the trauma of it caused my whole body to go into meltdown. My husbands contribution to our children was sex. Doesn't seem fair

Ilona Z
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Vasectomy. Like... No one of my friends can say Oh yes of course, we dont want another child so my husband will go to vasectomy. No. Every fu**ing man Is very offended when his woman starts with this topic. If She even starts - a lot of them just dont feel like that. Because woman Is responsible for birth control, she can be pregnant and - i know we are proud on it but still - destroy her body, she can give a birth and than breastfeed a baby for months up to years and than She should be responsible for birth control again And také hormons oř ovarysectomy or whatever. The man can't. Too big sacrifice. Selfish as f**k. Oh im so angry when im thinking about it

Katchen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I never would have married someone like that. I had the conversation with my husband before we were married, and he agreed that an eventual vasectomy was our long-term birth control solution.

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High Mamii Melo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't understand how it's always the woman's fault if she gets pregnant unintentionally. Plus, vasectomies are reversible and much less expensive than a woman having a hysterectomy!

Leodavinci
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, they aren't reversible. They don't do a simple "snip" anymore like they did in the early days. The tube would often heal back together and the only sign was an unplanned pregnancy. Happened to a co-worker. Now they remove a part of the tube so that can't happen... which makes "reversal" more difficult and less likely to work.

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InvaderZim
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a version of male birth control but they stopped selling it because the men taking it complained that “it gave them mood swings and headaches” and it was then considered inhuman even though female birth control does the exact same thing

Doctor Strange
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually they stopped selling it because it was shown to cause PERMANENT sterility and impotence. But yeah, blame the whole 'mood swings and headache' angle.

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Sergio Bicerra Descalzi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

1000000 times this. I was on my way to a vasectomy when covid... well, just say distancing is also a form of contraceptive. But still intend to do it.

cybermerlin2000
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know a lot of guys that got baby trapped that wished this was an option. Research is ongoing on the male contraceptive pill

User# 6
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What do you mean 'trapped'? Have these people never heard of condoms or vasectomies?

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Iseefractals
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If a woman wants to see a pregnancy through....and a man wants no part of being a parent....that man will be forced into 18 years of child support payments There is actually precedent of a woman, raping a man.....and that man still being forced to pay child support. If a woman wants to have an abortion, and a man desperately wants that pregnancy to be carried to term...well he's s**t out of luck. Now, i agree that men would absolutely jump at the chance to never have to worry about knocking up some random regretful encounter..... But...the ongoing declarations of "I HAVE ALL THE POWER" followed by "ooo responsibility tho, well i can't always remember to take a pill...everyday....at the same time...and ya know it's not really fair" Have grown a little stale

OhForSmegSake
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The male birth control pill was created and in final human testing stage over 15 years ago but was pulled bc around 20% of the subjects suffered one or more side effects inc: headaches, weight gain (

13
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only valid one to discontinue is the suicide one. For the rest... any idea how many side effects women suffer from birthcontrol?? Suck it up, Buttercup.

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franci petek
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why does a certain group always try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to this topic? Condoms have existed for centuries, using them is way easier and less intrusive than taking some king of a pill on a regular basis or having a vasectomy. Men have had full control over this matter for ages, and those who don't use the current solution wouldn't use any "new" solutions either. Besides, condoms also protects from many diseases, which other types of contraception don't.

Stephen Taylor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a vasectomy when I was younger because I knew we didn’t want anymore children. I could always have it reversed if we changed our minds. Birth control shouldn’t always have to fall on the woman. They have enough in their lives to worry over!

Zalzany Games
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if he has 150 partners, most are happy with one, what the f**k is this b******t. Oh you are confusing boys with men, yeah a boy will f**k anything that lets him, he also will do almost anything even snip his balls to get laid, issue is docs do have requirments for snipping they won't snip young people with no kids with out a legit reason for them not wanting to breed for liabilty and ethical reasons. Like I almost had it done in my 20s at time no doctor would do it for my age group unless I had at least one child first.

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I I
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i second this , i'd have gladly took it if it was available , we broke a condom , beat the coil ( not that it was a contest , just how the doc broke the pregnancy ) a back up would have been appreciated , not that we dont love our kids , just came too soon

Vonny
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one should be higher up on the list & more pts. too It's such a logical, practical thing society needs to do.

Shane S
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men would find a way to make it emasculating. I know many men who haven’t had vasectomies just because they think it would make them less of a man. And one has two “accidental” children.

Zalzany Games
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those boys child, most guys would do it in a heart beat but because all s**t most docs won't do them till your certain age or got x kids already. Last time I looked into it the places offering said they wouldn't do it for some one in their 20s unless you already had at least one kid, for ethical reasons. And my cousin has damn thing done twice still has two babbies when he suppose to be fixed lol. He is f*****g pissed as hell had it redone when first didn't take, used a new more expensive dock with higher success raiting ended up with another kid. Third time having his balls snipped seems to be the charm no kids so far but he is in fear that s**t will reverse itself again lol I mean I know 3 guys say its nothing one can't get his reversed he is permantly steral, other 2 both had it come undone on its own. It just seems like comdoms are f*****g better then that s**t more I look into it. And yet I want kids one day so that like 1/4 chance it can't be reversed scares s**t out of me. Or else I would have it right now.

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Nikki Angulo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I heard that they developed a pill for men, but men complained about the ‘side effects’

Heather Weather
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Then you need to trust someone else to tend to your birth control. Not on my watch.

Pamela Blue
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There IS a male birth control pill, but men stopped taking it because . . . awww . . . they didn't like the side effects. I guess it's just us women who have to live with this c**p.

Jess Asobrab
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

they tried that and men complained of discomfort so they called it off. nevermind women have been saying the same thing... we're expected to handle it

PADNA
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

... IS OP sure trust their partner enough to keep drinking the pills? I am responsible for myself, checking dates by myself because in the end, i would be the one turning into human incubator. When partner is wearing condoms, at least it is a visual cue that they are protecting. Loosing that comfort blank, would peak my anxiety and misstrust

Wednesday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband and I had a thought - Vasectomies at puberty for all males - they can have it reversed or have sperm harvested if they decide to have children. How 'bout them apples?

Wednesday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh but the side effects are TERRIBLE and it makes them moody and uncomfortable - really? Join the club...

J
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every person is responsible for their own fertility. Men who don't wrap it should not complain if a woman gets pregnant.

RoseAnne Hutchence
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aren't vasectomies easily reversible? Better than a lifetime of taking drugs (in my opinion).

Birma Gustafsson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men should really think of a vasectomy as a birth control for themselves. It's much easier and simple than tying a woman's tubes, and it's also reversible! It's very difficult, if not impossible to reverse the tying of tubes. And while on the subject - if a woman decides she wants to tie her tubes, do NOT tell her she's too young, or that it's up to her and her future "husband" to decide if they want kids! A woman knows her mind and can make life long decisions for herself just as well as a man can!!

JASH80
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes. They did have something but men are too scared of side effects - they feel more comfortable with women having side effects, massive ones, as "they are the ones getting pregnant"..

thepinkrobot
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We could make a birth control pill for men, but they don't want the side effects that birth control gives women.

Christopher Kopperman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do you think there is so much research into male birth control? That isn't an unpopular opinion. Practically everyone wants that. But keeping an egg from dropping or getting fertilized is much easier then temporarily making you shoot blanks. Killing sperm is easy, putting them to sleep until you want to use them is much harder.

Brent Hollett
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From what I've read on this, birth control for men hasn't been solved in a way that doesn't risk actual sterilization, like the pill does for women. Men don't have a menstrual cycle to manipulate. Their balls are always in the "ON" position.

Johnny Dean
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a birth control pill for men. You don't swallow it. You put it in your shoe and it makes you limp.

Joe Rusynyk
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wishing for it doesn't make the medication that could make it possible either exist nor be safe. Birth control has to be gendered because both sexes work differently. This was written by someone with more emotions than brains

Chaotic-Pansexual (she/they)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Birth control should be for men because it’s safer to unload the gun than to fire at someone with a bulletproof vest. Similar to what dean tirmizi said

Shaista Afridi 🇦🇫
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

and also a lot of the world's problems could be solved, and not even exist if people didn't act on animalistic urges and actually thought about things before doing them :)

Clark
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A lot of problems could be solved if the man had equal say when a woman is pregnant. No? Not ready for that discussion yet?

Elizabeth Molloy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men CAN take birth control. They just won't, for exactly the same reason my husband wouldn't have a vasectomy, even though we both agreed very early on that we didn't want children. I couldn't take the pill, as I had reactions to them all, he "doesn't like" using condoms, so I had to use the withdrawal method. Had I become pregnant, I would have to have had an abortion, and deal with all that physical and emotional trauma — all because he wouldn't have a small operation. Selfish d**k.

Casey Horn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i need to get my vasectomy. i don’t plan on kids and it’s just the responsible thing to do. every. single. other. domesticated animal is customarily sterilized and no one even questions it.

Zalzany Games
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah soon as you find a way to do it with out permant damage risk have at it. Freaking the pill has risks but its less so then odds of vesectomie either failing to work, or failing to reverse. Last time I checked they don't ask to freeze your eggs before getting on the pill, also we got condoms and most guys will use them especially if you tell them you got no birth control lol

Thalia Lovering
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still wouldn't trust anyone else with my not-getting-pregnant plan.

Sasha
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a male pill. Unfortunately the side effects were too severe. What were they you ask? The same as some of the side effects of the female pill, but much milder. Yeah..... As someone who suffered a pulmonary embolism from birth control pills and could have died, that really hits hard.

Tristan J
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would gladly take a pill if one was readily available. It can be damaging to a man's mental health and sex life to be reliant on someone else for birth control.

Peter Korsten
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The problem is that male birth control is a lot more difficult. Instead of dealing with one egg, you need to deal with millions of spermatozoa. Also: men don't get pregnant. If you take birth control pills as a woman, you have the situation in your own hands.

Isabel London
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm guessing this person has never heard of Stealthing? Male birth control might work in a relationship, but not for a one-night stand, or a casual sexual relationship. As a woman, and the person saddled with all the consequences, I would never trust a man I was not in a committed relationship with to be responsible for the birth control and subsequently my future.

MyOpinionHasBeenServed
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There will always be mistrust. Too many people are trusting someone they had just met online to be responsible with your sex health.

Pamela Blue
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They invented the male birth control pill, but men wouldn't take because they didn't like the side effects! Poor widdle creatures. Women have had to put up with the side effects for the last 40 years! You don't see us whinging about it.

The Sorrows of Mother LoveJoy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Men use children as tool to threaten women.behave or u and the kids Will be poor and homeless.my husband did it.

Nazda Pokmov
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can't make men do anything they don't want to do.....takes all the fun out of screwing.

James Arvidson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Read a study ince that women having sole access to birth control gave them a unique power in relationships. It was basically the stimulus for gender equality. Be careful what you ask for. We live in an imperfect universe. Solutions and progress are not always what they seem. Everything has unintended consequences. Sometimes they are beneficial, sometimes disastrous.

Craig Reynolds
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's called a condom. Other than that, it's a vasectomy. What more do you want?

Casey Mineer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately a vasectomy is, I think, the only form of men's birth control. It can be reversed through another expensive surgery that is not easily successful. I have heard that they are working on a male birth control pill though. That would be great!

Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When it's my body that makes the baby, I don't think I could ever rely on someone else for contraception. But I think it's a good idea to protect both parties from unwanted pregnancies.

Mark Johansen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lots of men do use birth control. It's called a condom. That's about the only method of birth control that is available for men with current medical science. There is no "men's birth control pill". You can't fault a man for not using something that doesn't exist. That said, there is one form of birth control that either person can practice that is guaranteed 100% effective: Don't have sex if you don't want a baby.

Rissie
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Vasectomies, condoms? Birth control, aka taking hormones to manipulate hormones should not be used because it messes with some of our most basic physical systems. Not for men, not for women. Also, it only works because women have hormonal cycles to mess up to begin with. Men don't. And messing up sperm production seems even worse.

Ivana
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They developed male birth control but shut down the study saying the risk was too great. Men on the study reported depression, mood swings, weight gain, and lower sex drive. Same side effects women experience with birth control, and they justified it by saying it was more harmful to men and a higher risk because men weren't use to that and women are.

Guy Incognito
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The tests were shut down by a independent safety regulator after one participant commuted suicide and one permanently lost fertility. About 75 percent of users said they would continue using.

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Anjali Jeter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup. Shame it doesn't exist yet because the side effects women have been suffering for years were deemed 'too severe' for men. 🙄

Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Apparently they do, according to the inane posting on BP by “medical professions”

aj B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately the last attempt at that caused "acheing" in the groin and apparently that was just too much for the men testing it. Going to be a while if males continue to be unwilling to tolerate some pain for it.

Leodavinci
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah. Well I would like the sky to be green or pink or... but...

Daryl Branson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whichever one has the lesser side effects should be the one we use. Women's birth control has pretty bad potential side effects, including a risk of blood clots. If they invent a men's birth control that has less severe side effects, they should take it.

Mikey Kliss
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree. Condoms are super easy and relatively affordable but I'd be for a male birth control

j_m m_j
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

...it's called restraint, if you have any character at all, you know how to

NELSON JONES
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Take ownership ffs!! If your partner isn't enthusiastic (and I mean that quite literally) about birth control (condoms, vasectomies, pills, etc, etc) and you are, then DON'T have sex with that partner. Good grief! How f**king simple does it get? Get over yourselves and take control of your lives. It isn't that difficult. Ugghhhh!

Thanatos Charles
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unpopular opinion.. Im just glad we are back to two genders lol (jk Jk)

Petros Vrasivanopoulos
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

man, american women are so annoying and its funny as a european in the states not being afraid of them, they seemed to be more respectful to foreigners and i got laid like crazy. USA = paradise No one forces anyone to use birth control, why women seem to use it more frequently would be that the woman is the likely to get pregnant(i know its obvious but thats the level we have devolved to) meaning they wantto make sure they are protected. Like, what? on a one night stand they will go, hey man take a male birth control pill or what not because equality and the guy will be like b***h, i dont even remember your name, stfu

royal_antelope
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

is this person unaware of the fact that condoms and vasectomy already exist?

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So while it can be fun to share your controversial views online, they also let others say opposing views, have heated discussions, and see things from different perspectives. Anna Akbari, P.hD., is a sociologist, writer, and speaker who shared her thoughts on why unpopularity isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a piece on The Psychology Today

She explained that if we want to be happy, successful, and feel of service, we don’t actually need to appeal to the masses. "See, we’re complicated beings, each with our own unique experiences, full of biases and contradictions and, hopefully, a point of view," she wrote. "Having a point of view is a good thing, even when that view isn’t universally embraced."

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While we can wholeheartedly stand by one issue, we can also not see eye to eye on another. "Agreeing to disagree on most things in life is fine—assuming it doesn’t restrict the liberty or human rights of others. It’s when we start to think that we need to agree on everything all the time to merely function together that we get into trouble," Akbari mentioned. 

Needless to say, popularity isn’t essentially bad. Lots of things that are commonly and generally accepted by our society are considered as "safe". Akbari explained that we don’t have to immediately or categorically reject the popular stuff but rather "selectively embrace it, or at least occasionally challenge it."

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However, if your views are not clinging to the mainstream popular or if they tend to stir some unexpected or even rude reactions, "don't despair. You don’t need to bend toward conformity, and you may even be able to cash in—financially and socially—on stepping outside the conventional bounds."

She mentioned two rules that people who tend to lean into unpopularity should remember. The first one is that you should actually believe what you’re saying or doing. "Disagreeing for the sport of it is annoying and, rightfully, no one likes or respects you if you do that. So stop it," the sociologist advised. 

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"The second rule is to embrace your unpopular opinions with the knowledge and grace that not everyone shares your point of view," she continued. This rule can be quite tough since we humans have a general tendency to want others to agree with us. After all, it makes us feel heard and valued. 

However, following this guideline "starts with a promise to both give up convincing other people to buy into your less popular opinions and to stop shaming them for their own thoughts and actions." 

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After that, it’s all about trusting yourself. If you believe that some things are just not right, don’t be shy and share your views with others because, chances are, there are people out there just like you. According to Akbari, there is value in dissent. "There’s often truth at the fringes and insight in unpopular perspectives. Greatness comes neither from blindly following nor from knee-jerk rejecting."

"Many of our greatest historical figures held really, really unpopular opinions. They did stuff that made people cringe or even retaliate against them. Going against the grain takes guts. And that courage is admirable, even if we disagree with what they’re saying or doing—but only when executed with integrity from a place of personal honesty," she wrote.

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