# Have you ever changed your mind? What did it take? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 4, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793 "2014-03-04T01:50:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/61 "2014-03-07T16:43:07Z")
Perhaps y’all can change some minds elsewhere… ? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/62 "2014-03-07T16:57:54Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I am. Maybe it’s beyond ALL doubt. Not sure how best to go about it. Or maybe give judges some discretion. I’m in favor of the death penalty. But I think it would be best to use it more seldom, and when it is used make the execution come more swiftly. And since we have a bar that is raised where there is ZERO doubt, we can zip through the appeals process. This 22 years on death row is ridiculous. Take the handful of people for whom there is zero doubt. Have a panel of judges who are not morally opposed to DP review any appeals and get the whole thing done in a few months. As an added bonus, we strengthen the deterrent factor by more closely associating the heinous act with society’s answer. I’m opposed to the death penalty because I think it has no value over life imprisonment, but has a great risk, though I don’t think it is immoral to execute a murderer. So raising the bar might lower the risk of executing an innocent person, but because executing someone adds no value (or adds no justice, if you want to think of it that way) over imprisoning them for life, I would much prefer to eliminate the risk of executing an innocent altogether. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/63 "2014-03-07T17:01:11Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Perhaps y’all can change some minds elsewhere… ? 😉 You’re right. sorry. I’m sure there will be ample opportunity to discuss this in coming threads. ---
**Author:** ![AnthonyElite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@AnthonyElite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnthonyElite)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/64 "2014-03-07T18:36:28Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Yes, twice. Never mind the details: the key was courtesy. > > The most persuasive argument is one delivered by a patient, considerate, and kindly voice of reason. When someone says, “Jeez, you’re stupid,” it sets up a psychological reaction, and (irrationally) the mind comes to resent and resist correction. > > It takes the care to say, “I see where you’re coming from. I beg you to consider, though, these concerns that I have, which lead me to a different view.” > > Flies, honey, vinegar. I would whole-heartily agree with Trinopus on this. There is no better way to keep me ignorant than to give an air of arrogance. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/65 "2014-03-07T20:39:32Z")
I’ve changed my mind on a number of things. Almost all of those things were helped along by **ALL OF YOU** on this board: cogent, rational arguments. Hearing firsthand from people I didn’t think I could relate to. The (sometimes) high bar for debate and calling out fallacious arguments. The thankless job of the moderators that keep this place civil and on point. But the most important ingredient is — for better or worse — is the **INDIVIDUAL** exposed to all these other elements. The more I learn about cognition and human belief, the more I come to realize how against our natures it is to change our minds, especially when we have strong feelings about the subject in the first place. Facts _ **ought to be** _ the silver bullet in the face of ignorance, but if a person has no interest in changing their minds, facts are completely ineffectual. But our culture (maybe even our biology) does not encourage changing our minds. We celebrate having conviction in one’s belief, having unwavering, resolute resolve. But to change one’s mind about something is derided as weak, wishy-washy, compliant, and untrustworthy. So whenever you encounter a person who has changed their minds _(based on evidence, mind you),_ you are encountering a wonderful, rare bird who has achieved an all-too-rare feat. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/66 "2014-03-07T20:43:03Z")
> [@AnthonyElite](#): > > I would whole-heartily agree with Trinopus on this. There is no better way to keep me ignorant than to give an air of arrogance. Agreed. (I think this is a serious weakness we atheists need to overcome if we want to win people’s hearts and minds). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/67 "2014-03-07T21:19:11Z")
I am agnostic everything pretty much. I have what I like and don’t like, but no beliefs about the rightness or wrongness of just about anything, except for what I feel eg. I know how I feel about something but I don’t equate that feeling to an accurate representation of reality. It is somewhat Cantian I guess. But changing my view to that way of thinking was a long involved process and even requiring somewhat different verbiage than I used to use. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/68 "2014-03-07T22:18:10Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > Used to be a Rush Limbaugh-conservative. Same here. Went through high school and early college listening to Limbaugh, even had his first two books, and I used to even watch his short-run TV show. I still think he was fairly entertaining back then (about 1990-1994), even though I currently don’t agree with his politics. But then I met a rather vociferous young gentleman from New York who challenged my beliefs and, slowly but surely, I started moving politically left, as much of what he said made sense. And the older I get, it seems the more left I get, although I was always socially liberal (most of the Limbaugh stuff that appealed to me was more the economic stuff, so I suppose you can say I was always more libertarian.) I also grew up strongly Catholic and, over time, just on my own I became agnostic/atheist. It’s not really necessary for my ethical/moral viewpoint, and I simply have no evidence for the existence of a higher power, so it makes no difference to me. Whether I believe in God or not should not and does not effect how I act on this earth. And my views and opinions on a lot of things shift over time. Must changes aren’t sudden, just gradual. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793/69 "2014-03-07T23:17:18Z")
> [@Batistuta](#): > > I’ve also changed my mind in relation to free trade (used to be against it, now am in favour) Don’t think many people are against free trade and international integration. But there are different types. People are against specific implementations of it, e.g. neo-liberalism. > [@Mangetout](#): > > So… are the people who said they changed their minds upthread just rare exceptions? They’re obviously using the internet wrong. I was being tongue in cheek. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-mind-what-did-it-take/682793.md?page=3)