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Having your own opinion is necessary and important always and everywhere. By the way, most people, at least from their point of view, undoubtedly have such an opinion of their own.
The question is different – the opinion of which “crowd” (a group of like-minded people, including in Online communities) each of us chooses and ultimately considers his own. In other words, who and why do we trust so much that we are willing to follow his / her advice or share their beliefs.
Thus, in the real world, the situation of “a crowd and an individual opposing it” is extremely rare, but almost always – “opposing crowds of like-minded people” with their opinion leaders (leaders). However, for some reason, many people imagine themselves to be exclusively “intelligent” or “enlightened” individuals / personalities who independently confront the” crowd “of dissident” fools “and”ignoramuses”.
Man is a social being (in relation to the animal world, the same feature is expressed in terms of “herd” or “pack” animals). So we just can't help but be part of some” crowd/pack”, and this is exactly the same biologically determined need as our needs for food or sleep. It's just that, as you know, biologically determined human needs have relatively different meanings, and the need to be part of a group is located somewhere in the middle (see about the “pyramid of needs” by A. Maslow).
The most interesting thing is that your opinion doesn't always have to be in opposition to the crowd. It is important to understand how and why you came to this opinion, whether all the facts were reliable, and whether the arguments were sufficient. In this case, your opinion becomes strong and independent of the number of people and their mental abilities.
There is. Not to be someone from the crowd, but to be yourself. So that later, when the crowd's contingent changes, you can remain yourself and think with your own head.
It always makes sense to have an opinion. However, the dissonance is that very few people will hear you, and if they do, then the smallest percentage of people will hear you, but this is quite possible, the most massive change in thinking among Russians occurred quite recently, when FBK published an investigation about Medvedev's secret wealth and possessions, and now a whole half of Russians have found out about it and are demanding his resignation. However, of course, his resignation will not affect anything, he will continue to work in secret and avoid publicity, this is obvious.