I believe we are surrounded by too many opinions and just too many opinionators. Why? Because opinions are free!! And you can't be held accountable for your opinions. So we have bloggers who behave like proxy-journalists and dish out their opinions about everything. We have news channels who rather than reporting the facts and fact-based analysis, go into an expert-opinion mode every now and then. In fact, we have created special professions for the opinionators for e.g. TV Commentators, Forecasters etc.

Just listening to opinions never hurts. However the real problem begins when what you listen to contains more opinions than facts. And worst, when you are not able to distinguish between them. Then you either choose to listen to 'Yes-men' who have a positive opinion about everything you are doing or you listen to and get scared listening to the 'Glorifiers' who glorify everything someone else has done and tell you that you can't possible do something like that. Both of these are traps...BIG traps and how can one possibly avoid them?

Do something on your own first. At least plunge into the pool. Don't start by asking for opinions about how cold the water can be and how deep the pool might be. Once you start, may be then you can ask for opinions, but ask them judiciously. And choose the opinionator carefully. This applies to individuals and organizations alike. Think about it.

I know the irony that I am myself giving an opinion; but I hope that I come into your preferred list of opinionators...at least I am trying to.