Question for everyone, what are the factors that contribute to your resistance to "change of mind"?

Question

Disclaimer: I'm an agnostic.


By change of mind, I mean changing religions, or changing voting patterns, going from feeling the solar system is geocentric to heliocentric, big life changes.

What factors contribute to your resistance to "change of mind"

Answer 1

Well for me it would be stubbornness and comfort. However, I've learned over the years that both those can stifle growth too. I've become much better and open about accepting new knowledge and allowing what changes in myself and thought processes to happen. I welcome it.

Answer 2

question of the day for sure.

My goal in all decisions is to identify and eliminate any and all resistance prior to making my decision. Only then can I be sure my decision is unbiased and therefore genuinely "right" in my mind.

Information is a key factor as well. If I learn something new, I'm not afraid to change my mind, no matter how drastic it may be. I've flip-flopped on the abortion issue for years. Now I don't take either side, I just try to make people realize with a better attitude towards teaching 12 and 13 year olds about safe sex and contraception, the need for abortions would drop and the whole issue would be moot.

Answer 3

I have no resistance to a change of mind. My consciousness is open to new knowledge always. I used to be very active in my parent's baptist church, and even did the stupid "handing out tracts" that they like to make the young people do. But, as I got older and realized that the feeling everyone else around me had, I couldn't capture, no matter how much I wanted to belong, inside I knew I didn't. I am glad that I'm not part of all that now. I like looking at it from the outside where I can see all the flaws in the dogma.

Answer 4

I'm a sofware engineer. I often need to make a design to solve new problems. I have to review my designs with other smart engineers. Quite often, someone suggests a change. Sometimes I immediately understand why the suggestion is an improvement, and I accept the change. Often, we end up discussing the pros and cons, and after discussion, one of us realizes that the other is right, or the discussion causes one of us to think of another design that has the "best of both worlds."

In real life, the kinds of changes you suggest come along much less often. People will try to talk me out of my atheism, but I've already been through all of their arguments long ago, so I don't change.

I like reading about the leading edge of science, because there I often read something that opens my mind to a new way of thinking.

I wish someone would come along with some better political ideas. I lean liberal/progressive, but I'm disappointed with the lack of leadership in democratic party. I think I might change some of my political views if someone brilliant came along and made some strong arguments.

Answer 5

Quite honestly, my biggest resistance to "change of mind" is that I don't want to admit I was wrong and look like an @ss.

If I hear something that makes more sense than what I currently believe, I'll check it out, and maybe change my mind, but the toughest part of all of it is saying I was wrong =)

Stupid & childish? Maybe...but that's just the way it is.

Answer 6

He appeared to think of it became possibility loose sufficient to pay a touch lip provider to the AGW believers devoid of incredibly asserting something. I remember that speech. it style of feels to be heavily worded so as that the believers can say 'Bush is with us now' yet he did no longer say something to point that CO2 became having an significant effect on the components. a great style of the believers in this talk board have mentioned that 'Bush is of a similar opinion with us now'. this entire international warming circulate is going to run that's direction faster or later. all and sundry is merely going to overlook approximately that's going to surely and circulate onto something else. Calling proponents a gaggle of brainwashed cult individuals is going to create animosity. maximum politicians look careful to dodge any pointless animosity.

Answer 7

Very interesting question :-)

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"What are the factors that contribute to people's resistance to "change of mind"?"

In my view:

- because they are not used to changing their mind;
- because they consider that those who disagree with them are necessarily wrong;
- because they don't trust new perspectives;
- because they don't find any interest in changing their mind;
- because they are scared (fragile);
- because they cannot even imagine that what they believe in may be wrong/obsolete/incomplete;
- because they would feel like losing the fundamental roots.

Not everyone is able to change his/her own mind.

I have learned to respect others' pace more.

I think it is an illusion to believe that everyone can understand the way we do.

This doesn't make us smarter though... Beware...
"There is always someone smarter than oneself."

Answer 8

The usual reason: fear.

People pay lip service to freedom and originality, when in fact most of us prefer to be told what to do, and what to think, and why it's best to do what our parents / teachers / leaders / Big Brother types want us to do. We're social animals and every society has a pecking order, and it's next to impossible for most people to break out of that order, either physically or mentally. We're afraid to do it, because we know what some of the consequences will be, and they're unpleasant: loss of status and home; loss of face / embarrassment; ostracism and loneliness; enmity and persecution.

Answer 9

My observation in life has been that most new ideas turn out to be wrong. So I am biased to cling to what I already believe. That isn't to say I can't be persuaded, it simply means that new ideas have to be very compelling.

Answer 10

Simply put for me, God. What I believe to be true in my heart and what is at the core of my being. If I am wrong, I believe in my heart that I will have lost nothing in life; I have lived it so far to the best of my human ability and will continue on in that fashion until my dying day :)