Have you ever changed your mind?

Have you ever changed your mind about anything really important?

Yes and then I divorced him. ;-)

It doesn't work that way. "Your" mind changes "you".

Have you ever changed your mind?

Psychological & sociological research say it's a very hard thing for us humans to do.

We're all victims of the confirmation bias?accepting & believing those ?facts? that confirm our existing opinions while disregarding or minimizing those ?facts? that disconfirm our opinions.

There's a wonderful book called Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) by Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson that I can recommend highly. Right after finishing this book, I attended an event in which a self-avowed racist who had beaten up Rep. John Lewis in the '60s recanted his racism. Changing one's mind on such an important issue seems relatively rare.

Today's NPR Talk of the Nation show deals with this issue (audio or transcript at In Politics, Sometimes The Facts Don't Matter : NPR ).

Have you ever changed your mind about anything really important?

Do you think you're not subject to the confirmation bias?

I have caught myself doing it

I try to be mindful.

No, never.

Actually, I might be wrong about that, I might have..

No, no, I was wrong, I haven't.

But maybe, there was that one time, at band camp?

It was an interesting show. I had to leave before the end, so I want to go back and listen.Thanks for posting the link.

I thought the most informative piece was the information about how our beliefs are what determine our opinions...and that we look for, or selectively hear or see, those things that will support our beliefs, rather than looking for any information that might cause us to question them.

I would love to have the time to do an experiment. I think it would be fun to take a "political junkie" person who only listens to Fox News and isolate them so that they would only listen to NPR for a period of time; and do the same in reverse. I think it would be fun to see if there was any difference -- or what the difference was, after the experience.

Another thing that I find fascinating is people whose world view is "stuck" in a certain time period. It's as though the world continued to turn, but that person is still operating as though it is (whatever year)...and everything about the present world is experienced through the prism of that other time.

If I were thinking of doing a research project this is an area that would be at the top of my list. I think this information tells us a lot about how we interact with our surroundings and with others.

It was an interesting show. I had to leave before the end, so I want to go back and listen.Thanks for posting the link.

I thought the most informative piece was the information about how our beliefs are what determine our opinions...and that we look for, or selectively hear or see, those things that will support our beliefs, rather than looking for any information that might cause us to question them.

I would love to have the time to do an experiment. I think it would be fun to take a "political junkie" person who only listens to Fox News and isolate them so that they would only listen to NPR for a period of time; and do the same in reverse. I think it would be fun to see if there was any difference -- or what the difference was, after the experience.

Another thing that I find fascinating is people whose world view is "stuck" in a certain time period. It's as though the world continued to turn, but that person is still operating as though it is (whatever year)...and everything about the present world is experienced through the prism of that other time.

If I were thinking of doing a research project this is an area that would be at the top of my list. I think this information tells us a lot about how we interact with our surroundings and with others.

Something interesting I've observed about "stuck in time" syndrome... how frequently it exists in emotionally traumatized people (bad childhood, marriage, war, crime victim, etc) and they end up stuck in the time that was the worst for them.

Change is really hard. It takes real effort and vigilance to traject oneself into a different space & mind (or to experience someone else's shoes.)

I would love to have the time to do an experiment....

The book, Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), contains descriptions/results/interpretations of many experiments in this field.

They report on brain-monitoring experiments in which subjects are given irrefutable evidence contrary to their beliefs & their brains essentially shut down & will not accept or process the new/real/factual info/data.

You would think that the more the more expert a person is in an area, the more objective he/she would be about processing new info in that area--but no--it seems to be just the opposite. Unfortunately, even scientists, trained to be objective, are subject to confirmation bias.

It seems we're programmed by evolution to justify our beliefs & actions, even if we know on some level that it's not quite right.

We don't want to become cold computers, but we need to be on guard against our basic human tendencies to justify & rationalize "facts" to fit them into our already-established worldview.

Something interesting I've observed about "stuck in time" syndrome... how frequently it exists in emotionally traumatized people (bad childhood, marriage, war, crime victim, etc) and they end up stuck in the time that was the worst for them.

Change is really hard. It takes real effort and vigilance to traject oneself into a different space & mind (or to experience someone else's shoes.)

I agree and it seems to be more difficult for some personalities than others. Another fascinating bit of information I heard recently: only 11% of the psychiatrists today do talk therapy--listen to the patient; all the others simply prescribe a drug.
Maybe so many get stuck because they have no one to listen and the drugs they may get from the doc may add to the "stuckness".

Change is hard, it seems empathy is even harder for some folks.

Our brains are pretty amazing....

I'm a woman. I change my mind at the drop of a hat.....several times a day.

I'm a woman. I change my mind at the drop of a hat.....several times a day.

Good for you. I think it's healthy to change one's mind when the facts/situation warrant(s) it.

Unfortunately--in business, politics, society--changing one's mind is often seen as a sign of weakness rather than a sign of strength or objectivity. Look at the pitiful Kabuki dances our politicians go through to avoid admitting they ever took a wrong position.

Good for you. I think it's healthy to change one's mind when the facts/situation warrant(s) it.

Unfortunately--in business, politics, society--changing one's mind is often seen as a sign of weakness rather than a sign of strength or objectivity. Look at the pitiful Kabuki dances our politicians go through to avoid admitting they ever took a wrong position.

That's why I prefer Free Thinkers.

I'm a woman. I change my mind at the drop of a hat.....several times a day.

Don't confuse mind with mood Gullfriend

Don't confuse mind with mood Gullfriend

Have you ever changed your mind?

I'm a little surprised that no one has yet said ?I was unreligious/religious & changed...? or ?I was liberal/conservative & changed...? or ?I was Democrat/Republican & changed...?

Have you ever changed your mind? BREAKING NEWS!

Have you ever changed your mind? BREAKING NEWS!

Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston engaged

Have you ever changed your mind?

I'm a little surprised that no one has yet said ?I was unreligious/religious & changed...? or ?I was liberal/conservative & changed...? or ?I was Democrat/Republican & changed...?

That sort of thing happens all the time. People lose their religion or find god. People change their religion and become born again.

What about eating habits? Some people become vegetarians. Some switch to a different beer.

I was going to comment, but then changed my mind....and then I changed it back just as quick. How bizarre.

That sort of thing happens all the time. People lose their religion or find god. People change their religion and become born again.
.

In many ways religions are about the comfort of the 'fit'.

I think people join/switch religions because the viewpoint of the religion agrees with how they see the world (this would also apply to clubs/political parties/etc.. as well.)

If you find a religion that is a more comfortable 'fit', then you would probably change.

How often do you hear someone say "Well, I'm in the <Insert-name-here> religion because I really don't agree with what they believe in."

In many ways religions are about the comfort of the 'fit'.

I think people join/switch religions because the viewpoint of the religion agrees with how they see the world (this would also apply to clubs/political parties/etc.. as well.)

If you find a religion that is a more comfortable 'fit', then you would probably change.

How often do you hear someone say "Well, I'm in the <Insert-name-here> religion because I really don't agree with what they believe in."

Well, I have heard Catholics say that they don't agree with several Catholic positions, but...once a Catholic, always a Catholic.

I've been with the same woman for 45 years. I can't count the times she changed my mind...........even though I didn't know it or didn't want it changed.

In many ways religions are about the comfort of the 'fit'.

I think people join/switch religions because the viewpoint of the religion agrees with how they see the world (this would also apply to clubs/political parties/etc.. as well.)

If you find a religion that is a more comfortable 'fit', then you would probably change.

How often do you hear someone say "Well, I'm in the <Insert-name-here> religion because I really don't agree with what they believe in."

People have gone from non-believer to believer and vice versa (and then switched back again).

Another example of change I can think of is musical taste. There are a lot songs/groups I used to like that I don't care for any more. I found other new things that I like very much.

I rarely change my mind w/o an outside influence. My initial opinions of people, items, and places tend to be very accurrate and rather fixed.

While I have strong opinions about many topics, if I am presented with a good argument or evidence, I will change my mind, alter or adjust my view, or in rare cases do a full 180.

But it has to be a good argument or good evidence that stands up to my scrutiny.

Changing your mind is quite a bit different than changing your beliefs. In both religion and politics, almost no one is going to change their beliefs readily. You tend to tune to channels or churches that reinforce these beliefs. Changing your mind about one thing or another is much simpler. I drove Chevy trucks for twenty years. My dad was a Chevy man. I sat in a Dodge one day, and boom, I'm driving a Dodge. I find that I'd just as soon listen to the classic rock that I grew up with than let hardly any new stuff in. But I could change my mind...

from my experience, the key to changing is an awareness factor of something...

once I am aware that I want to do something differently, or that what I have always believed isn't working for me anymore, or I become curious about other ways/ideas/ etc., it has been pretty easy to research and educate myself and most of the time, I have changed at least a portion of something I once believed or thought.

I observe, though, that many people are not self-aware enough to even know there might be a different way--they are content to move along doing whatever they saw their parents or friends doing without ever questioning any of it.

It is why I think of all the traits one can have, being very curious about everything is one of the most enlightening...it leads to all kinds of things that one might otherwise have never encountered.

Sometimes it seems that people can be broken down into two groups: those for whom change is energizing and they thrive on it; and those for whom routine is energizing and they thrive on it.

We need both I think.

The book, Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), cites experiments in which subjects on both sides of the

pro gun/anti gun
&
pro Israel/anti Israel

issues are given the exact same factual info & data, and then responded to a questionnaire designed to try to see if their minds/beliefs had been altered.

Perhaps not surprisingly, subjects accepted/internalized/believed the data & info that agreed w/ their pre-existing beliefs & discounted/minimized the data/info that did not fit their pre-existing beliefs.

Make your strongest argument & there is always some case I can make on the other side.

It's rare for adults to change a significant belief or worldview.