
Ask HN: What most controversial opinion do you hold? - leblancfg
Currently reading Thiel’s book “Zero to One”, and he mentions this is a favourite interview question of his. Which got me thinking, what is your most controversial opinion you’d be willing to put out there?
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new_guy
And if people were truly honest about their 'controversial opinions' they'd
get kicked from this site.

It's a problem in academia as well, there's a new journal launching to help
combat that problem
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46146766](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46146766)

~~~
erwan
Most often people assume these opinions have to be political, but they really
don't.

Well, maybe within the scope of the question as defined by OP since it
explicitly begs for _controversy_. But should you expand it to the broader
_What is an idea you hold that runs contrary to the common wisdom of field X?_
Then suddenly it becomes a lot more interesting and fruitful,

It's not that heterodox political opinions are intrinsically less interesting
but few people know how to discuss them constructively, much less online. That
breeds low quality discussions where everyone is at each other's throats.
Broadening the question has at least the merit of being less polarizing
without giving up on critical thinking, or bravery. Ultimately, the goal is
the pursuit of the _truth_ \- something that breaks mimeticism (or kickstarts
it).

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mindcrime
Taxation is theft.

If you're looking for something not political, I'd go with something like:

1\. The web-browser shouldn't try to be a knock-off operating system, and
should delegate many things to native code using protocol handlers or some-
such.

2\. Groovy is a totally badass programming language and is way under-
appreciated today.

3\. The Semantic Web vision remains alive and is continuing to develop and is
one of the most important initiatives out there, short of us developing AGI.

4\. An AGI might have "human level" intelligence in dis-embodied form, but I
believe an AGI would need to be embodied and sense the world somewhat like the
way we do, to truly have "human like" intelligence.

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notmainacct
1\. The Trans movement will die because of feminism/social justice. I believe
that we are moving towards a society where there will be no stigma towards
sexuality, fashion, presentation, or any other expression relative to
gender/sex. Once any gender can present any way freely, and not be
'emasculated' or 'defeminated' based on expression, I do not see how dysphoria
would exist.

2\. Abortion is murder and but that doesn't mean it it should be made illegal.
The government sanctions killing of others through acts of war, self defense,
use of deadly force. The historical precedent of the economic, public health
and social impact of banning abortion make banning abortion against the
function of most governments. The government should not be morality police,
but a hockey-style referee for economics and public safety.

I got tired of explaining my stance on the second issue to the point to where
I just say that citizenship is issued on birth in USA therefore fetuses aren't
citizens and prioritizing the fetus over the mother is a homeland security
issue.

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krapp
Most controversial opinion: The thesis behind the Second Amendment, that an
armed populace is necessary for a free state, is incorrect, or at best
obsolete in the modern era.

Second most controversial opinion: The Last Jedi was a good film. Flawed, yes,
but not deserving of the hate it's gotten.

~~~
mindcrime
I'm with you on the latter point, but can't agree on the first. What I will
concede however, is that an armed populate doesn't _guarantee_ a free state.
But all other things being equal, I'd take an armed populace over an unarmed
one, as long as state tyranny is a threat.

But yeah, The Last Jedi was frickin' awesome.

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belorn
A dangerous proposition but since it is being asked I could give it a try.

My most controversial opinion is likely that any law that give gender, race
and religion special treatment is discrimination that promotes tribalism and
polarization.

