Have you ever changed your mind?

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...

I'm unable to make a distinction between changing your mind and changing beliefs. It's all the same to me. My mind could be changed simply through reason if let's say I've been clinging to some fallacy and somebody clearly explains why my way of seeing something is unreasonable. I'm sure that more than once in my life I've stumbled across something unexpectedly in my reading and the curtain opened up so to speak. I learned something in other words. Some people's minds can be changed with appeals to emotion. Those are the ones who get selected for jury duty.

I'm unable to make a distinction between changing your mind and changing beliefs. It's all the same to me. My mind could be changed simply through reason if let's say I've been clinging to some fallacy and somebody clearly explains why my way of seeing something is unreasonable. I'm sure that more than once in my life I've stumbled across something unexpectedly in my reading and the curtain opened up so to speak. I learned something in other words. Some people's minds can be changed with appeals to emotion. Those are the ones who get selected for jury duty.

I'm kind of defining a belief as something you will most likely cling to unless overwhelming evidence presents itself to the contrary. Can you imagine embracing the Republican Party or the Nation of Islam? Or listening to the Jonas Brothers? I think not.

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...

I can change my mind quickly about what shoes to wear, route to take when there are more than two choices, changing the lip stick takes a little getting used to, but religion? I am open, but most likely would not convert to another faith....with my faith, there are many denominations all with different traditions, beliefs, etc. I choose the one that is most accepting and no man made rules; although, someone told me last week that Unitarian is more liberal than Episcopalianism. Before switching this up, I'd do a tremendous amount of due diligence and 'feel' my way around.

With politics, I don't believe in the platform of one party. I think the two major parties have advantages and disadvantages within their positions......this is part of the rub because I don't believe there is a one size fits all when it comes to politics. Maybe a one size fits 'most of the time' or 'some of the time;' however, our elected politicians rarely set outside of their party platforms.........I definitely prefer and respect someone who thinks outside the party and shows it.

I wouldn't change mechanics just to mix it up. I trust mine implicitly. We are a Chevrolet family, also. I've said before that because of the bailout and lack of repayment from GM, I probably won't buy another. But, the truth is that I quite possibly will.....in other words, time heals all wounds.

I would neva, eva in a million thousand years even think about drinking a Pepsi! I am a tried and true Co-Cola Gull. Wouldn't give up bacon either, which leads me to next 'change your mind' topic - health and healthy habits.

Would you or do you think most people would change their health habits to improve their overall health and longevity? I.E. smoking, drinking, diet, exercise........

Finally! The True Religion.

religion? I choose the one that is most accepting and no man made rules.......

Wow! What religion is that?!? Where do I sign up?

I'm kind of defining a belief as something you will most likely cling to unless overwhelming evidence presents itself to the contrary. Can you imagine embracing the Republican Party or the Nation of Islam? Or listening to the Jonas Brothers? I think not.

LOL! The Jonas Brothers! I still say it's all the same. Changes in beliefs are just a change of mind. It's just a lot less likely to happen. My beliefs and values have been altered more than once in my life and quite suddenly.

Wow! What religion is that?!? Where do I sign up?

SCYOM ~ The Sacred Church of Your Own Making. At least that's how I refer to mine ;-)
It's a compilation of resonating beliefs cobbled together from many of the great AND obscure religions with some metaphysical stuff thrown in for added dimension! I get to play whatever music makes me happy and I don't have to wait for any particular hour or day of the week to practice! I don't have to argue with anybody else about what/wherefore charitable causes get supported, should we or shouldn't we spend $$ on flower arrangements when the electric bill is at stake, nor is there any tithing pressure laid on to erect a new "sanctuary"! AND... I can throw a potluck anytime I want. Amen.

SCYOM ~ The Sacred Church of Your Own Making. At least that's how I refer to mine ;-)
It's a compilation of resonating beliefs cobbled together from many of the great AND obscure religions with some metaphysical stuff thrown in for added dimension! I get to play whatever music makes me happy and I don't have to wait for any particular hour or day of the week to practice! I don't have to argue with anybody else about what/wherefore charitable causes get supported, should we or shouldn't we spend $$ on flower arrangements when the electric bill is at stake, nor is there any tithing pressure laid on to erect a new "sanctuary"! AND... I can throw a potluck anytime I want. Amen.

Sweet!

Once more, it is time to be repetitive. My wise, but uneducated father, said, "A wise man will often change his mind but a fool never does" and he was exactly right.

In many ways, I think we are in a constant state of change. The more one reads and experiences it surely elicits change. A person's core principles probably never change, IMO. which is what I think Andy's very smart father said so beautifully.

I like this thread. To answer the question- yes, I do. I have done many 180's and even a few 360's.

I like this thread. To answer the question- yes, I do. I have done many 180's and even a few 360's.

It's the 270s that get you in trouble.

I too have changed my mind/beliefs in varying degrees up to and including 360s.

For me, the single greatest factor behind change is usually the result of painful life experiences. Situations that take me to places/spaces I never consciously sought to experience... more... those that I consciously did NOT want to experience. Literally FORCING me into 'that other guys shoes' to teach me alternate realities and expand my (previously learned) concepts of truth and right. Hello! Universe to DuneAHH

Change is good. It's Hope and Change that can get you in a slight pickle.

No, it's the people who trample Hope that will get you in trouble.

Hope is one of the best things people can have when in a bad situation.

Change is good. It's Hope and Change that can get you in a slight pickle.

If the idea of Hope and Change is ridiculed by the Republican Party, doesn't that make them the party of No Hope and No Chance of Change... kind of seems dismal to me.

I don't put much value in the idea of hope, but maybe the word means something different to me that other people. Desire, volition, will motivation are what it really takes. Naturally if you've got all those, then having a certain amount of hope is unavoidable. I just know that for me personally, hope, in and of itself, never did a lick of good.

I don't put much value in the idea of hope, but maybe the word means something different to me that other people. Desire, volition, will motivation are what it really takes. Naturally if you've got all those, then having a certain amount of hope is unavoidable. I just know that for me personally, hope, in and of itself, never did a lick of good.

So you're hopeless, eh? ;-)
You said it buddy... not me.

So you're hopeless, eh? ;-)
You said it buddy... not me.

In the words of George Carlin "F- Hope"! Great youtube video on that. But I won't post it here.

In the words of George Carlin "F- Hope"! Great youtube video on that. But I won't post it here.

Hopeless, but not entirely a lost cause ;-)

Objectivity Test?

One of the findings in the book Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) was that people with different pre-conceived ideas (e.g., re gun control or abortion) could read the exact same article and come away with very different conclusions.

Here's an informal test: read the article at the link, trying to be mindful of confirmation bias & note whether you accept any point that might disconfirm your pre-existing point of view.

How would a Republican president have handled the Gulf oil spill?

How would a Republican president have handled the Gulf oil spill? - By Christopher Beam - Slate Magazine

One of the findings in the book Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) was that people with different pre-conceived ideas (e.g., re gun control or abortion) could read the exact same article and come away with very different conclusions.

Here's an informal test: read the article at the link, trying to be mindful of confirmation bias & note whether you accept any point that might disconfirm your pre-existing point of view.

How would a Republican president have handled the Gulf oil spill?

How would a Republican president have handled the Gulf oil spill? - By Christopher Beam - Slate Magazine

Of course, as you go into the article, you have to assume being from Slate that it has a significantly left-wing bias, just as you would assume that if it were on Fox it had a right-wing bias.

A better test would be to not identify the source of the article.

I also missed the part of the article where the author talks about how long a different President would have taken to actually speak to the country about the crisis and whether or not such a speech would have actually contained more information (since it couldn't have contained less.)