The exhaustion of having an opinion on everything

It usually begins before the day properly does. You wake up, reach for your phone, and within minutes, you are mentally responding to a reel about morning routines; a news alert about something that happened overnight; a group chat debating a celebrity interview you have not even watched. By the time the coffee is ready, you have already taken several positions. None of them feels especially satisfying, yet all of them demand energy.

Later, at work or over dinner, the same rhythm continues. Opinions are expected to be quick, articulate, and morally sound. Indifference feels lazy and unaware. And the realisation hits that somewhere along the way, having a thought quietly form in your own head has stopped being enough. Now it has to be shared, sharpened, and ideally, defended. You always have to be "politically correct".

The pressure to respond

We live in an age where everything invites commentary. Social media, news cycles, and even casual conversations are structured around instant reactions. The faster you respond, the more relevant you appear. Over time, this creates a subtle pressure to always be ready with a stance, even on subjects that do not truly affect you or that you have not had the space to understand fully.

Over time, this urgency to have an opinion turns thinking into performance. Opinions stop being well-thought-out reflections and start becoming compulsive reflexes. You are no longer asking yourself what you believe, but what you are expected to believe, or how your belief will be received.

When opinions become emotional labour

Having an opinion today requires emotional energy, especially when those opinions are tied to identity, values, and public perception. Every take becomes a small negotiation. "Will this align me with the right side of the conversation, or will this offend someone?" "Will this come back to me later?"

Over time, this constant pressure to react and to react correctly can feel draining. Even when nothing drastic happens with your opinion, the effort has already been spent.

The illusion of engagement

Being opinionated is often framed as being informed, engaged, and socially aware. And sometimes it is. But there is a difference between meaningful engagement and constant commentary. The latter creates the illusion of participation without necessarily having an understanding of the matter at hand.

When everything demands a reaction, nothing is fully absorbed. News blurs into trends. Complex and layered issues flatten into mere small talk points. The exhaustion comes not just from having opinions, but from the speed at which they are formed and discarded.

The quiet relief of not weighing in

There is an underrated comfort in admitting you do not have a fully formed opinion about something. Or that you are still thinking. Or that you simply don't want to engage. These moments feel almost rebellious in a culture that equates your visibility with your relevance.

Choosing not to comment creates space to listen more. It allows opinions to be intentional rather than automatic and forced. And it reminds you that your worth is not measured by how frequently you speak, but by how honestly you do when you choose to.

To judge or not to judge

Not everything deserves your emotional investment, and not every conversation needs your voice. Discernment is not disengagement. It is a way of protecting your attention and mental capacity, which is increasingly one of your most limited resources in today's chaotic world.

In stepping back from the need to have an opinion on everything, you make room for quieter forms of intelligence. Curiosity instead of certainty, and listening instead of reacting. And perhaps, most importantly, you make room for more rest, which is the ultimate non-negotiable.

Lead image: IMDb

Also read: Is ‘ghost growth’ doing more harm than good for your career?

Also read: Why everyone thinks 2026 feels like 2016 all over again