“Worry about the approval of others and you too will be a prisoner.” When you express an opinion out loud, you may encounter some pushback, because of the way we humans work. If we were all the same person, we wouldn't be able to advance as much as we have. Having an opinion is important, because this way people can see things in a different perspective, it enlightens them about how different someone else's thought processes can be. To see something different and express it, people may describe it as freedom of speech, the ability to think what's on your mind and say it. As Lao Tzu said, it's not about seeking approval, but about thinking about what is right with that opinion. The problem with free speech is that all social media, news articles, etc. that people have access to, can become harmful to someone. Freedom of speech is not bad, it is necessary, but when not many people come to the same conclusion/opinion, they become more numerous either respecting their own opinion, or trying to force you to have the same thoughts that most people think, or in other words, believe only in “popular opinion”, and even when it doesn't end well, everyone should recognize its importance and benefits. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Freedom of speech is always allowed, since it is basically a right for everyone, but when people do not share the same opinion, or strongly disagree, it becomes a controversy. Three years ago, the US representative since 2003, Steve King, tweeted a “different” opinion. According to (King), he said "We can't restore our civilization with someone else's baby"(@SteveKingIA, 1:40 - March 12, 2017), and therefore met not only hatred, but also comments on his image about how he was a Nazi and things like that were done. The tweet was frowned upon and not respected as a normal opinion would be, so why allow everyone to have free speech if you will only get hate for speaking your mind? It is equally important to respect someone's opinion because it might show another solution to the situation at hand, but people are willing to ride the wave of blind hatred, instead of thinking about it from a logical point of view. Similarly, someone who defends this view named Jon Jafari, commonly known as Jontron, stated: “Wow, what a scandal, Steve King doesn't want his country to be invaded by people who despise his culture and his people! NAZI!!!" (@JonTronShow, 4:21 - March 12, 2017). Which of course led to him also getting caught up in the hate for defending him, even if he agreed or disagreed. This shows how someone can have freedom of speech, but it is never mentioned how a single opinion can destroy his person or reputation. They must recognize that not everyone will think the same on that specific topic, so embark on a witch hunt against these types of people it will make them change idea, they will only regret expressing their opinions out loud. It is important to learn that the person they show to everyone is not the same person they are in their daily life. That being said, negativity may come from free speech (or perhaps by the end of one's career), it is necessary to recognize the value of free speech. It is just as Harvey C. Manfield says: "We imply that it is valuable because its limitation would undermine our freedom, which is a way to avoid freedom. question rather than answer." (Manfield, The Value of Free Speech)Underestimating it would only lead us to limit freedom of speech even more than it already is, because although everyone has the right to it, it is a weapon capable of destroying someone's image/reputation. Ignoring its value would end up placing even more limits on free speech unnecessarily; changes only begin when someone expresses their opinion, and if no one can express their opinion, the problems will continue to grow. Because it is necessary to protect the value of free speech, it is taken to the next level when it comes to creating a peaceful society, as the NYTimes articles state: “Judges, legislators and scholars continue to struggle to find a balance between strong protection of speech and the need to maintain a peaceful society.” (M. Gonchar, Why is freedom of speech an important right?). Even when everyone has the right to their opinion, some are limited to the value they present, that's why the courts eradicate this right if it is proven to be a danger, and if it is a danger then it means that that person's freedom of speech is not of any value. The problem with this, going back to the quote, is that it's hard to see an opinion from a perspective they've never thought about, but if they still don't think about it, its value won't be worth much, so it will be worth going against what anyone might represent . The value of free speech is important for the common good, and there is always a reason for this, be it experience or knowledge, its value cannot be weakened in any case, otherwise we cannot advance further without the help of different opinions and views of opinions. The benefits of free speech depend primarily on respect for our ideals, our rights and society itself. As stated by J. Timms, “Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It strengthens all other human rights, allowing society to develop and progress. The ability to express our opinion and speak freely is essential to bringing about change in society.” (J. Timms, Why is Free Speech Important?). When it comes to changing society, it is mostly about how it will change the people in that society, making them understand something different, allowing it to become something that can be embraced and used to incite change in society. If humanity continued to do as always, it would never have come to grasp the present as it is; In other words, embracing free speech allows humans to continue to evolve to realize the utopia they desire. It not only incites change, but also helps increase the level of productivity of many systems already in place, just as Insideout sources say: “There is evidence that protecting freedom of expression is positively correlated with increased economic growth, levels of democracy, sociopolitical policies, stability and non-violent versus violent methods of conflict." (B. Christensen, Why Free Speech Matters). Strengthening these systems not only helps society change, but helps it improve in the future, boosting a person's daily life. Even if society changes, if it has nothing significant, in the end the change in society was nothing more than a stroke of luck, even if it only improved the economy, which would already make people's lives even easier depending on how it gets better, whether just for those at the bottom or those on stable ground. The benefits of free speech are too immense to ignore, having the ability to change society as a whole in many different ways, as well as changing individuals in that society in the way they recognize./