It’s Absolutely Alright to Change Your Views
By: Jerren Gan
Tags: Self Improvement, Opinion, Politics, Change, Culture

It’s Absolutely Alright to Change Your Views

And why you shouldn’t stop people from changing their opinions

Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels

Social media has evolved into a medium that spurs change. It helps news spread rapidly and allows everyone to weigh in with their opinions. Online platforms enable us to voice out about the issues that are close to your heart. And it is one these platforms where we are often encouraged to see things in a different light; to empathize with those who do not enjoy the same freedoms; to stand up for those who suffer from injustice.

With these online platforms also comes an evolution in the way our opinions are received. Before these platforms came about, opinions were something shared in passing. Unless one’s position was written down in books and newspapers or publicly stated on television, most opinions were quickly forgotten. You simply shared what you felt about a particular matter and that’s it. People either forget or would only bring it up in the future when you are once again talking about that issue.

Nowadays however, opinions are immortalized and spread really easily. On these online platforms, even if you delete whatever you posted, people might still have screenshots of your opinions and will be free to continue sharing them. Furthermore, opinions are no longer a private matter between friends and family. Future (and potential) employers can easily search them up. If it is deeply controversial, even the public could weigh in on the issue. Unless you only have a few trusted friends and family following your social media, you will never be able to control how far your opinion is shared.

And even though these online platforms have become such good drivers for change, the immortalization of opinions has had its negative effects. With this ability to constantly refer to old opinions, people began to develop a weird habit: holding someone’s old opinion as their ‘forever truth’.

Of course, it’s miles easier to get your opinion out in the public now. After reading about a certain issue, it is extremely easy to get your thoughts out into the public sphere. But once your initial opinions are sent out into the public, changing your opinion becomes unthinkable.

And because of the public’s habit of constantly holding one’s old opinions against an individual’s current words and actions, people have started to resist change. After all, it is much easier to defend your old position rather than constantly explain why you changed.

But this shouldn’t be the case.

The power to push for change is something that should be embraced. And the ability to share opinions is central to this power. Being able to freely share one’s opinions encourage change for the things that matter to that individual. It allows one’s voice to be heard and helps one find like minded individuals. As long as the opinion is backed by evidence and truth, no one should have to be afraid to share what they are feeling.

But discrediting someone who attempts to change their opinions defeats the purpose. In the first place, we should already expect opinion changes and not treat anybody’s opinion as their final stance of the matter.

Opinions change because we are all humans. And humans are not infallible. Sometimes we believe in the wrong things, sometimes we’re misled to think a certain way. When we make mistakes, owning up and changing your view should be the first thing to do. Maybe you believed that a certain policy would be effective and shared your opinion about it. But after seeing how it is enacted, you might want to change your stance and point out all the failings in this system. It is only by reviewing your old opinions and changing them can you learn and help improve the system (and yourself).

At the same time, opinions change because things change. The situation might have evolved. Changing time periods might have brought different beliefs into the realm of ‘acceptable thoughts to have’. Even the amount of information available changes. And when faced with new circumstances, you might no longer feel the same way about a certain issue. This is when a change in opinion should happen. If no one adapts to the changes in society, there will be no room for society to improve.

Personally, as a writer, sharing opinions is unavoidable. And every great writer I know shares their opinion boldly. But at the same time, we all have to learn to be confident when changing our minds. Changing my opinion shouldn’t require me to dissociate myself from my old ideas. Changing my beliefs shouldn’t discredit me. In fact, if anything, changing opinions should be treated as a badge of honour. In the face of situation changes, being able to adapt and reflect upon oneself is not a character flaw. It is a skill everyone should hope to have.

That’s why I’m not afraid to say that I’m wrong. You shouldn’t be afraid of owning your past opinions as well. They are there to mark your growth and show people that you’ve thought deeply about the issue. Own your opinions and back them up with facts. But if the nuances change, own the opinion changes and do it confidently.