Maybe You’re Wrong: The Beauty of Changing Your Own Mind

It is more important than ever to acknowledge the wonderful freedom that comes with being intellectually flexible.

When I was a kid, I was convinced that I was going to go to the NBA. Not only that, but I was going to be the greatest left-handed basketball player that the league had ever seen (because for some reason I had the humility not to place myself along the likes of LeBron and Jordan, but would surely be better than Russell, Harden, and Mullin). But as I grew up and began to gain more perspective on my athletic pursuits, some realizations began to set in. First, I was not tall enough, nor strong enough, nor fast enough to compete with the best players my age — let alone NBA-level talent. Second, a staggeringly low percentage of high school basketball players make it to the league. And third, a career in basketball would mean sacrificing so many other important facets of my life. So I abandoned my hoop dreams and shifted my perspective on my future career. I changed my mind. And while this may seem like a trivial instance of abandoning childish pursuits, it serves as a lesson in the value of reevaluation. 

It is inherently human to not want to change our positions or viewpoints, no matter the subject. After all, there is a reason why we hold the beliefs we hold. Maybe you grew up in a city and still root for that city’s sports teams. Or it’s possible that you ate so much chocolate ice cream as a kid that you despise it today. Perhaps a really smart person told you that he doesn’t wash his hair, and now you don’t either. Whether it be from personal habits, learned experiences, or the advice of others, the beliefs we hold become fundamental parts of how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. So it is naturally very scary when we are faced with the possibility of changing our own minds. And we often have some apprehension or resistance toward that possibility. 

There are a myriad of reasons as to why it has become increasingly difficult to change your own mind and uproot your own beliefs. Even when faced with facts from reputable sources, changing your mind is not easy. But it is vitally important for a number of different reasons. 

First, changing our minds gets us as a society closer to a collective understanding of the truth. The philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill wrote that the expression of all opinions, even those that are false, are necessary for society to engage in civil discourse, leading to the ultimate discovery of truth (Mill, On Liberty). Diversity of opinion is a beautiful thing; it is one of the hallmarks of human nature and allows for each and every voice to be heard. But when each of those voices are shouting at each other behind anonymous profiles, there is no possibility for rational debate to be had. And by preventing that debate from being had, with opinions and viewpoints expressed from all different perspectives, civil discourse is rendered impossible before it can even start. Without leaving ourselves open to the possibility that our minds can be changed through rational, respectful debate from people with differing opinions, we prevent ourselves from discovering an ultimate, objective truth.

Secondly, people really are not as judgemental as you think they are. We are constantly surrounded by people from whom we seek approval or acceptance. “I have to impress this club or they won’t let me in.” “If this interviewer doesn’t like me, then I won’t get the job.” “The girl behind the bar is really cute, I need to seem funny for her to like me.” It is so easy to slip into a pattern of conformity or self-censorship in the interest of pleasing others. And with social media, that trap becomes even more enticing. But because of that, it is crucial not to let other people’s thought processes cloud your own. And, conversely, you should not seek to control what they think about you. Rather, it is far more valuable to allow yourself the chance to hear another perspective and provide yourself with the opportunity to change your mind. With an exchange of ideas fundamentally based without judgement or pre-emptive criticism, we can truly grow and progress as people.

And finally, there will always be people smarter than you. However much you claim to know about politics or science, sports or movies, there will always be someone who knows more. There will be people who have dedicated years — their whole lives, even — to a single topic, and have sought out every piece of knowledge possible related to that subject. And even they don’t know everything there is to know about it; we as a society are constantly learning new things that expands the knowledge of humanity everyday. There exists a vast ocean of facts and information out in the world. And we have only explored less than 0.001% of the ocean, so there is always more to learn!

In short, it is crucial for you to be open to changing your mind. At the very least, you may learn something new or have a conversation with someone who has a new point of view. And at the most, maybe you will make a change in your life based on a new sense of understanding, all by opening yourself up to changing your mind. Even though you may have to throw away your dreams of making it to the NBA, it will almost surely be to your benefit in the long run. 

“I feel I change my mind all the time. And I sort of feel that’s your responsibility as a person, as a human being – to constantly be updating your positions on as many things as possible. And if you don’t contradict yourself on a regular basis, then you’re not thinking.”

– Malcolm Gladwell