Once you make up your mind on a particular topic, it can be very difficult to accept new ideas or to consider alternate opinions. Ideally, we would be open to new interpretations or different ways of looking at things, but it doesn’t always happen.
How can we be more open to alternate points of view? What is necessary to change your mind?
Related questions: How can you achieve compromise? How is a decision made? How can we encourage debate?
I like to think that I am open-minded. When I listen to or participate in a debate on a subject that I have a strong opinion about, I will only change my mind if I hear some strong, valid points to the contrary. I may not form a whole different opinion, but may change only certain elements of it.
Ruby – I like your comment. I, too, try to be open-minded. Maybe too much so, to the point where I’ve been labeled “wishy-washy”. My response is that things aren’t always black and white – lots of gray out there. One of my favorite quotes from the Bible: Why look at/criticize the sliver in someone else’s eye when you have a board in your own.
Thanks for sharing.
To change my mind there would have to be compelling evidence contrary to what I believe.
Cecily, you have a nice way of expressing yourself using few words. If this blog had a “like” button, I would push it.
Cecily: Succinctly noted and what we would all hope for. However, for a good number of people, decisions are biased based on preconceived notions. In fact, many people dig in deeper to their old way of thinking in the face of compelling evidence. What do we do about that? How are we to unify with others when we can’t even agree on what facts are? Michael