Biggest influences on your views

[-:Undertaker:-]

Our views, whether it's religious, political or other - are often shaped by arguments and counter arguments that we hear. Well, it got me wondering - who are the biggest influences on your opinions that you hold?

In terms of what i'm most interested in, the biggest influences on my opinions have been Ron Paul (libertarianism) and journalist Peter Hitchens (conservativism) and I suppose I could mention Milton Friedman the economist who was amazing at debunking economic myths.

How about you?

[Kardan]

Science, Mathematics and the Media would probably sum it up.

[Empired]

Probably my mum and my friends lol..

Does my view of "just believe the opposite of whatever the Daily Mail says" count :S

[buttons]

tumblr lol but sociology and anthropology too.. no specific theoriests, just the ways of thinking

[Futz]

I guess my close knit friends, general people, the internet, television, logic, life experiences and myself, pretty much EVERYTHING must play a part in my opinions

Sometimes I talk to myself in my head and it's how I come to conclusions

[MKR&*42]

tumblr lol

Am actually gonna say this (or more so the internet in general) in regards to suicide / self harm / mental disorders / et al. I think I would be a lot more closed minded if I hadn't seen so many people suffer with such problems on that site and describe their horrific experiences towards the matter (and positive experiences by overcoming said issues of course).

Otherwise... i don't really know. I wouldn't say the education system as I believe a lot of it is fairly bias (except concrete facts like biology, maths etc) so erm I guess internet again :S.

[Inseriousity.]

TV/film/books (harry potter books especially). My opinions are so "hollywood" sometimes lol.
teachers especially a sociology teacher I had in college.
Really sad but Habbo fansites as well. I've actively been involved in 3 (HabboNation, -[H]- and Habbox) and my opinions about people-management are largely from these. For example, I don't think I'd have been a good competitions manager if it weren't for seeing Professor-Alex's laidback management style lol.

[AgnesIO]

Very interesting thread.

Bill Gates views on vaccines and poverty are very interesting, along with Hans Roslings outlook. My inspiration in terms of marketing and business, but not life as a whole, would probably be Steve Jobs. Some of the biggest influences on my view of life would probably be people in far less fortunate situations that myself - it sounds cliché, but really - that is what really influences me. This is what made me work my backside of during AS and A Levels, and has almost certainly made me a better person.

Not really sure where my influences of political views have originated from - I mean obviously some (ie. aid) are through the above things, but not all of them. I have had an interest in politics for as long as I can remember though.

EDIT: Last one.. a teacher from my secondary school who I am sadly no longer in contact with, who looked genuinely disappointed having seen my predicted GCSE grades, and worried - definitely made me feel that everyone should try harder in education..

[karter]

Well, besides people who I personally know..

People on Tumblr
Salman Rushdie
Youtube Entertainer Lilly Singh ( this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfTV3UV_WlY) !!)
Jhumpa Lahiri
Mitch Albom
The Dalai Lama

[geo]

films, the media, tumblr

my friends but they kinda made me think differently bc i disagreed w their **** so much so like idk, ... less now as im starting 2 agree and learn stuff from them but most r ******

[FlyingJesus]

John Stuart Mill, Karen Straughan, just-smith whatever his real name is, Roger Zelazny, and then plenty of people who have influenced my views by being so hideously wrong about things that I've felt the need to learn more in detail and drive towards logical truths instead