The OPPO Effect

I became interested in OPPO during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The world was shut down and everyone went from face-to-face interactions to connecting and engaging with others through various social media and video platforms, as well as text messaging. OPPO has always been with us. It was already present before the shutdown, but it intensified during the pandemic.

It has been one of the root causes of stress, depression, anxiety, groupthink, manipulation, and control of the masses.  OPPO has also contributed to a lack of self-confidence, a decline in self-esteem, and a devaluing of one’s worth and value.  It has restrained, impeded, or otherwise limited the ability of millions of talented men and women to rise to their full potential and achieve a higher level of personal and professional success.

You and I experience OPPO every time we post to social media, tune into a news broadcast, listen to an influencer, read a newspaper, or have a conversation with other people.  If we’re not careful, OPPO influences what we think, what we say, what we do, and who or what we become…leaving us less than our best or lacking in some way.

We not only experience OPPO, but we also exert OPPO on others as well. It’s delivered often without conscious thought as to the ramifications to the other party or meaningful consideration as to the impact it can have on their lives.

So, what is OPPO?

OPPO is an acronym for Other People’s Personal Opinion.

The Oxford Language Dictionary defines opinion as (1) a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge; (2) the beliefs or views of a large number or majority of people about a particular thing; or (3) an estimation of the quality or worth of someone or something.

So, how does OPPO manifest itself?

First, it shows up as a belief, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge, that is passed on as truth to others. It’s what someone else believes to be true, whether it is or not.

After all, if we read it on the Internet, it must be true, right? 

You have only to tune into any of the major news networks and you’ll hear a gaggle of pundits debating, arguing, and disagreeing with their peers, each spouting their brand of political or cultural groupspeak, claiming everything they are saying is the “gospel truth.”   Add to that the alternative media outlets, and you’ve got a plethora of opinions disguised as philosophies, ideals, and beliefs not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

Yet, they religiously, fervently spout what they believe to be true even if a preponderance of evidence speaks to the contrary.   

Remember this…their opinion is THEIR opinion, nothing more.

Secondly, OPPO shows up as a groupthink.

Go online, on any social media platform, and you’ll be inundated with people who are more than willing to share their opinions as Truth despite their lack of knowledge, wisdom, experience, or understanding of the subject matter. And if you don’t conform to their narrow view of the world, their opinions of the facts, they will attack you, shun you, and cancel you.

Because everyone wants to fit in and feel like they belong, OPPO becomes a means to enact compliance.  If you want to belong, you’ve got to think a certain way, speak a certain way, or act a certain way, or you find yourself on the outside looking in.

And as I’ve said in prior podcasts, when you allow someone else to dictate what you say, do, and become, you’re no longer in control of your life.  OPPO now owns you.

The third way OPPO manifests itself is in the assigning of value to someone or something.

Advertisers use OPPO to influence the purchase of the goods and services they are hired to promote.  They do this through the use of influencers or celebrities as spokespersons. Why?  It adds to the illusion of truth that a product or service is more valuable simply because of who is promoting it.  After all, if an “A-Lister” is promoting it, the product or service itself must be an “A-Lister” as well, right? 

I’ll let you answer that one.

In the early, formative years of our lives, our brains were inundated with the beliefs and opinions of those around us. Our parents and early influencers helped to shape our view of the world and what we accept to be true or not.  It didn’t matter if what we accepted was based in truth (or reality).  Early adoption of OPPO was instrumental in our development.

Once we entered school and wanted to fit in, OPPO went to work once again.  It helped to define what we wore, how we talked, what music we enjoyed, what movies or TV shows we watched, what celebrities and influencers we followed, what social media apps we frequented, and what causes we championed…if we wanted to fit in and belong.

OPPO continues its relentless efforts to influence, persuade, manipulate, or control us in some way throughout our lives. It shows up in the workplace, in higher education, in culture, and in society.

As long as there are other people, there will always be OPPO.

Now that you know how OPPO shows up, how should you respond to it?  How do we make sure that OPPO isn’t persuading us, influencing us, manipulating us, or controlling us in some way?

You’ve got to recognize OPPO for what it is.

OPPO is focused on getting you to think, act, and do just like someone else. And if OPPO can get enough people thinking, acting, and doing the same things the same way, society stagnates, innovation wanes, and success is stifled.

But you’re not just like everyone else.

You’re unique. One of a kind. No one has ever lived who is exactly like you.  No one who will ever live will be exactly like you, either.

OPPO fears uniqueness. Why? Because uniqueness allows people to step into the greatness of who they are and who they can become.  When this happens, you position yourself to stand out, get noticed, get ahead, and experience more success in life.

Understand this about OPPO…

Everyone has an opinion.  You do. I do. We all have an opinion.

But an opinion is just that, an opinion.

We are entitled to have and hold our own beliefs and opinions.

We are entitled to speak or otherwise express our own beliefs and opinions.

However, we are NOT entitled to force others to believe them, accept them, or embrace them. 

An opinion is a truth, but not necessarily based on facts or reality.

Your opinion is your truth, but it is not necessarily THE truth.

Opinions are often biased.  Opinions are often wrong.

So, why do you put so much stock in OPPO?

You were put on this earth to become the very best version of YOU that you can become. No one knows what that person looks like except you.

If you want to be successful, you’ve got to challenge what you believe to be true, and why.

You’ve got to learn to think for yourself instead of allowing others to think for you.

Remember, as you think you become.

And once you stop thinking, you stop becoming.

When you improve the quality of your thinking, you improve the quality of your saying, doing, and becoming.

The first character quality of a Black Belt Leader is believing in YOU.  After all, you cannot achieve what you do not believe. You serve yourself, and the world around you, at the highest level when you know what YOU believe, and why you believe it.

It’s a question only you can answer.

Let me leave you with this thought:

When you improve the quality of your thinking, you improve the quality of your believing.  When you improve the quality of your believing, you improve the quality of your saying and doing. When you improve the quality of your saying and doing, you improve the quality of your becoming not only the best version of you, but a more successful version of you.

So, stop worrying about your OPPO and start focusing on improving your own opinion of YOU. 

Be the REAL you, and not some OPPO version of you.