Do people ever really change their minds on important topics?

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mouncey2franklin

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Or do most people basically stay the same, in terms of their opinions and outlooks, throughout adulthood?

My opinions on a lot of things have changed. The high school me, the early uni me, the late uni me, the working me, the current me, all different.

And not because I'm attempting to be different. I'm not actively trying to change my mind about things.

But as I read and hear and see and experience more things for myself, my evidence base develops, and so too do my opinions.

In a later comment in this thread I will list some examples of topics where my opinion has changed not one but twice or thrice or more over the years.

For now, I just want to get your thoughts on this. Do you ever really change your mind on important topics?

Do you think other people change their minds on important topics?

Over to you, bigfooty :thumbsu:
 
Apr 2, 2013
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Yes if they are opened minded and have a curiosity of how the world works and are willing to be adaptable and embrace change.

A lot of people are close minded thou.

Also some thought patterns are innate and genetically set and can't really be changed.
 

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woota

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Sometimes yes, but there are still those who are beyond help. There are some people so thoroughly brainwashed with a particular point of view or ideology that they can't be reasoned with. The gender wage gap is probably the best example of this I've ever come across. There are still people who actually believe this s**t is real (even some males) when you hold the evidence right up in front of them. Veganism is another good example, there's some really interesting debates between carnivores and vegans that happen at vegan protests, that I've been watching on youtube. You can see how these vegans have been so brainwashed that they cant think rationally anymore. Given that there are a tonne of ex vegans on youtube, mostly young women, whose entire channel was about promoting veganism before they did a 180 and started talking about how damaging it is. So yes, that's one definite example I've come across time and time again where people change their mind. Then there are flat earthers...

Although on the positive side, infant circumcision is something I've seen many people change their mind about (it's still a thing in america) when they actually become educated on how harmful it is.
 
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mouncey2franklin

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Dunno. Let's discuss Brad Scott and what positives he achieved.
Excellent communicator and media man who came to the club at a time when our public image was in the pits.

Developed strong and positive relationships with players which helped us avoid losing talent to GC and GWS.

Anything else?
 
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It's natural for our understanding of topics to evolve. As long as that change involves critiquing the merits of new information, little good in chopping and changing opinions like seasonal fashion. Opinionated people are pretty tiresome anyway (I've sat through enough of my dad's mind-numbing monologues of speculative conjecture over the years to feel a little repulsed by it), and seem to see things more narrowly than the rest of us.

As long as we listen, consult, have the ability to verify the authenticity/evidential authority of sources, can offer some new insight, admit when we are wrong and learn from it, and feel some empathy, then we are open to change.

Hot topics (like veganism and the gender wage gap mentioned above) will also always have their deep thinkers, their mindless fanatics, their casuals, their conformists, their well-thought-out arguments, etc. To disparage the lot based on a few personified representatives isn't really the right way to approach topics anyway.

Many of us joined this forum by our early 20s and if you go back through some early posts you might find some incongruence. Especially if you joined in early high school. I wasn't very active on this forum until this decade, but if I went back through other (now defunct) forums I'm sure I'd find a lot of differing opinion. Bigfooty has been around for almost 20 years now, so the context has changed a lot as well.
 
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raskolnikov

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I've changed my mind on several important issues.

I grew up very religious but now consider myself agnostic, tending towards skepticism.

Due to my religious beliefs I also grew up quite homophobic but now am an advocate for gay rights.

I voted Liberal til I was about 30, then changed to predominantly Labor.
 
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I've changed my mind on several important issues.

I grew up very religious but now consider myself agnostic, tending towards skepticism.

Due to my religious beliefs I also grew up quite homophobic but now am an advocate for gay rights.

I voted Liberal til I was about 30, then changed to predominantly Labor.
Same, I remember my early childhood as mostly biblical given my father was the local reverend and we had no tv so I mostly read children's bibles. I was one of the most well behaved kids at my school. I voted predominantly Liberal until my mid 20s. Those life experiences aren't necessarily bad life experiences or things I regret, my world has just expanded and therefore I've changed a little. I'm also comfortably agnostic. Respectful of religions and interested in them, fine with the general concept and utility but never believe or join any of them.
 

Reynolds Number

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I have modified my opinions on international politics since I started living overseas.

My opinions on domestic issues have been modified over the years due to life experiences (eg. employment, locations of residence)
 

woota

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Same, I remember my early childhood as mostly biblical given my father was the local reverend and we had no tv so I mostly read children's bibles. I was one of the most well behaved kids at my school. I voted predominantly Liberal until my mid 20s. Those life experiences aren't necessarily bad life experiences or things I regret, my world has just expanded and therefore I've changed a little. I'm also comfortably agnostic. Respectful of religions and interested in them, fine with the general concept and utility but never believe or join any of them.

I also grew up with religion, but now I'm extremely intolerant/bigoted and I believe religion should be abolished.
 

raskolnikov

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I still really like a lot of gospel music. Keith Green was a genius.

 
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Studies have shown people mostly change their minds according to what is important to them, rather than any information that might prove them wrong.

If you can key on to what is important to someone in an argument, and appeal to that, it will be far more convincing than sheer evidence. So if you're concerned about refugees, and I wanted to stop the boats, I would only change your mind by showing how my zero tolerance policy was in effect more compassionate, lead to less drownings at sea, and how Australia has a very generous legal immigration policy, etc etc. Evidence about refugees and terrorism risks, or refugees taking jobs, etc, won't work in this case.
 

revo333

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I thought Man landing on the moon was a hoax when I was young.

Now I believe Man has landed on the moon.
 
I think so. I was very much "don't ask, don't tell" about gays growing up. That's what I said at least, the reality probably was that I thought gay people were weird as s**t. Really just a product of not knowing anyone gay, and rural towns having a very poor view on homosexuality. I grew up as I was exposed to the internet, and realised how common it was outside of my area.
 
They can and they do. But, because everyone works under a set of presuppositions, they need something to enter into their life that their worldview cannot explain. If it's a small challenge, then they can adjust their worldview slightly but still retain the same principles. But if it's a big enough challenge, with no way to explain it, then they have to question all their presuppositions, and so they end up changing their worldview.
 

JW Frogen

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No they do not.

Well, maybe sometimes.

Come to think of it they never do.

But on reflection, perhaps ......
 
I think so. I was very much "don't ask, don't tell" about gays growing up. That's what I said at least, the reality probably was that I thought gay people were weird as s**t. Really just a product of not knowing anyone gay, and rural towns having a very poor view on homosexuality. I grew up as I was exposed to the internet, and realised how common it was outside of my area.
I think people's opinion evolves with time and experience. I don't think the same way I did when I was 20, there would be something wrong with me if I did.
 
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I do think that people change their minds on what constitutes important topics in the first place. The stupid gay marriage survey thing is coming up on two years ago. Has anything really changed for the majority of people that aren't directly affected? John Howard changed the Marriage Act in 2004. From 2004-2017 it was an important issue of varying prominence in the public sphere. Now it's only fringe weirdos like Cory Bernardi who still think it's something to talk about. I've seen similar in WA with retail trading hours. People voted against longer trading hours, Emperor Barnett introduced them anyway years later and now they are in and the world hasn't ended.

I'm not sure we'll ever take climate change seriously because we don't take sustainability seriously full stop. If we use solar instead of coal when the sun is shining and I trade in my diesel powered car for a brand new one with a giant battery made of recently mined lithium, graphite etc. is the climate going to be OK? Meanwhile we continue to produce plastic at a ridiculous rate and are always buying new technology, new furniture, new clothes etc. People take multiple overseas holidays per year and think they are doing good for the planet by having a canvas shopping bag and a keep cup for their coffee.
 

craigos

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Sure do. Common theme with the below is they all stemmed from ignorance and beliefs passed down.

Homosexuality

Indigenous People

Immigration
 

getthefooty

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Sometimes yes, but there are still those who are beyond help. There are some people so thoroughly brainwashed with a particular point of view or ideology that they can't be reasoned with. The gender wage gap is probably the best example of this I've ever come across. There are still people who actually believe this s**t is real (even some males) when you hold the evidence right up in front of them. Veganism is another good example, there's some really interesting debates between carnivores and vegans that happen at vegan protests, that I've been watching on youtube. You can see how these vegans have been so brainwashed that they cant think rationally anymore. Given that there are a tonne of ex vegans on youtube, mostly young women, whose entire channel was about promoting veganism before they did a 180 and started talking about how damaging it is. So yes, that's one definite example I've come across time and time again where people change their mind. Then there are flat earthers...

Although on the positive side, infant circumcision is something I've seen many people change their mind about (it's still a thing in america) when they actually become educated on how harmful it is.

Can you explain this one please? I am not too well educated on the figures so am interested to hear what you have to say.
 

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