Pink has never been my favorite color. I honestly doubt it’s because society told me that pink was a girl’s color or it wasn’t masculine enough. I grew up liking purple, largely because it’s my mom’s favorite color and it was a very nice color for my skin tone. But pink, despite its often gentle hues and prevalence in fashion, has always fallen short in my mind.
Many people tell me that I’m subconsciously being swayed by mainstream consumerism and gender roles within society to dislike pink. From personal experience, I find this ridiculous. Yes, it’s common to see pink/red being used for girls and blue used for boys. From a practical perspective, this makes sense. Both colors are recognizable and identifiable primary colors of pigment/light, even from an early age.
Pink just doesn’t do it for me. It’s a pretty color. I think they’re great on roses and dresses and shorts and shoes. Pink looks great on guys and girls and anything or anyone in between. Pink is amazing in fashion and art—but is it my favorite color? Nope. I’ll wear pink and I’ll use pink when I decorate cakes or make flower bouquets, but it still isn’t my favorite color and it has absolutely nothing to do with societal pressures or norms. I simply do not like pink.
But why am I ranting about a color? Why would I ever choose to write an entire article on my lack of interest in a color that ignites so much debate?
I wrote these first 200 words simply to demonstrate the importance of an opinion and how to present an argument. Pink is not my favorite color. Oh well, darn—shucks. But it’s what I believe and I have evidence to support my reasoning. I’m not blindly stating opinions and starting an argument over pink because I want to cause problems or ignite debate. I’m producing, developing, illustrating and presenting an opinion on a random topic to show that arguments, when thought out are easy to approach.
In college, students are (hopefully) taught to write original thesis statements and produce argument papers. But far too often do I see terrible arguments on Facebook or insane statements on the Internet of people who genuinely spout off jargon they find on the Internet. Form your own opinion. Develop your own thoughts. Argue what you believe. It’s as simple as that. Sure, sharing a controversial article on Facebook is a quick way to do so; however, unless you present your own opinion, it is safe to assume that you wholeheartedly agree with the information aside. Therefore, if someone were to challenge these beliefs you advertise, then it would be fair to assume that you would need no explanation of your opinions. Does this seem fair? Yes. Do people perceive it as fair? The amount of mindless argumentation on my Facebook says otherwise.
Blindly adopting an opinion leads to very messy situations and, in this day and age, is becoming more and more common, especially among millennial college students. Do some research. Read a book (or three). Don’t rely on biased media. Focus on all sides.
“So I may not like pink, but I definitely like purple—and here’s why…”
Easy as that.
