Don't Ever Change Your Mind.......

Tonight we can watch another presidential debate.....results of which may or may  not weed out a few of the candidates running for the highest office in the land. And I'm sure, either tonight or during the analysis of each candidates comments we will hear at some point the term "flip flop".

It seems I can remember in elementary school, while studying history, we read that people in Europe used to believe that the world was flat....and if you sailed out far enough toward the horizon you would fall off the edge. It was, at some point, also common belief that the sun revolved around the earth. People thought cancer was contagious. Until telescopes were invented and improved there was no knowledge of solar systems other than ours. And so on......and so on.

I guess my point is that knowledge changes opinions. Aging and life experience changes opinions. When I was 16 I'm pretty sure that I "knew" 45 was elderly. The principals I was so sure of in my twenties and thirties morphed a bit as I continued to raise my kids, live with my husband, work in the real world.

I learned new facts. I met people with different opinions and life experience who shared that information with me....and sometimes, not always, their conversations caused me to re-think my long-held convictions. I read books and I questioned my world and I questioned my beliefs. Some held strong....others changed a bit or changed a lot.

I guess that means I am a "flip-flopper". But I'd rather be that....someone who is willing to admit that in a changing world, new knowledge and new information may provide me with a real chance to change my opinions, than someone who is stuck and refuses to recognize that he/she may be incorrect. Rather than be labeled a "flip-flopper" they proudly state they've never wavered in their opinions. To me that's not necessarily a good thing at all.

Growth, age, knowledge, experience can equal change and intelligent discussion  - and "flip flopping" on issues.

We either accept that, or go back to thinking the world is flat.