Written in 2015.
How to deal with opinionated people
Opinionated people are those who announce their views repeatedly, without being asked.
An opinion, offered once, is usually harmless. When it becomes habitual, it turns into noise.
Most of these people are not malicious. They lack any genuine interest in whether others agree with them. They tend to hold an opinion on everything, announce it publicly, and become irritated when it is questioned. The assumption is always the same: that their view is important, and that you are there to receive it.
The proper distinction is not between right and wrong opinions, but between respect and indifference. Someone who can state a view and allow space for disagreement is easy to live with. Someone who cannot is exhausting.
You are not required to engage. Listening politely does not oblige you to agree, adopt, or defend yourself. You are also not obliged to correct every statement you hear. Silence is often the most efficient response.
That said, when an opinion crosses into disrespect, it is worth speaking up. Calmly. Briefly. Without turning it into a performance. If the other person reacts badly to that, the problem is no longer the opinion, but their inability to tolerate boundaries.
Distance helps. Not total avoidance, just space. Enough to protect your attention and your mood.
And then there are those rare cases where the behaviour is so persistent, so wilfully abrasive, that avoidance becomes the only sensible option. Every social circle has one.
You do not have to give them airtime.