Embrace the power of admitting you were wrong. Adaptability and humility are vital traits in Stoic philosophy, showcasing how acknowledging our fallibility leads to personal growth. Historical examples highlight that changing one's mind isn't weakness but a sign of an open mind. A former belief can evolve with time, reflecting wisdom over stubbornness. True strength lies in welcoming new perspectives and avoiding the fear of losing face. Growth and maturity come from being receptive to change.
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insights INSIGHT
Growth Mindset
Changing your mind is a sign of growth, maturity, and evolution, not weakness.
An open mind is the best kind to have for personal development.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Political Flip-Flopping
Politicians often stick to public positions they privately disagree with to avoid being labeled flip-floppers.
This fear of changing their minds is irrational and harmful.
insights INSIGHT
True Damage
Clinging to beliefs out of fear of appearing wrong is more damaging than admitting mistakes.
Changing your mind reflects growth and an open mind, essential for navigating life's uncertainties.
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A Stoic is determined, but not obstinate. A Stoic controls what they can, recognizes they cannot change that which is out of their control, but that they can change their mind. Not because it’s convenient, but because they are open to learning they were wrong or misinformed.
“If anyone can refute me," Marcus Aurelius wrote, "I'll gladly change." He wanted to be told when he had made a mistake or seen things from the wrong perspective. Because it was truth that mattered to him. Truth, he said, “never hurt anyone.” Persisting on a course or holding steadfast to a belief only because you’re afraid of losing face? That’s where the real damage comes from.
Yet we actually fear the former more than the latter! Politicians pretend to still agree with positions in public that they disparage in private...because they don’t want to be branded a flip flopper. It’s madness. Changing your mind is a good thing. Holding different beliefs today than you did ten years ago? That’s called growth, maturity, evolution. Being won over by someone else’s argument is not a sign of a weak mind...it’s proof of an open mind. The best kind to have! The only kind to have if you are at all concerned with fortifying your inner citadel against the vagaries of Fate and Fortune.
The Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter once said that “Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late.” Well put.
Don’t reject refutation today. Don’t be afraid to admit you were wrong. Gladly change. It looks good on you—on everyone.
The Daily Stoic