Long Live Mind Changing! :)

There are people who cannot or will not change their minds, as in: “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts!” I feel these people have already finished living their lives. Why bother to wake up tomorrow as it will be the same as today anyway!

Yes. No. Yes. No. Actually, Yes. I mean, No.

It's totally cool to change your mind as many times as you want, assuming you communicate to people that you've done so, and not just got cross with them when they don't realize you have! :)
People who say, that their mind is made up and that they will not be moved on their decision are (and I'm making a big sweeping statement here! Sorry!), probably quite close minded or possibly stubborn people. Everyone should be open to the idea of changing their minds - for example, if new evidence is presented to them that they'd not previously considered!

To say that they don't want to be bothered with the facts is like saying "I don't care if it turns out the decision I've made is not based on all the facts, I've made my decision now and there's nothing that anyone can do to change my mind!" I know it's just my opinion, but, I cannot live my life like that and I see it all as a huge learning experience.

I believe most people who won't change their minds hold their ground because 1) they are afraid and/or 2) they are comfortable and/or 3) they are lazy, and/or 4) they've been seriously indoctrinated (either by self or others) toward one line of thinking, and/or 5) they succumb to cultural attitudes about 'standing one's ground' as a desirable trait (to the detriment of open-mindedness).

Some clever person once said that the only thing that remains constant is "change". To fail to be open to hearing new information and examining other perspectives, we are doomed to miss important cues to understanding, and to living wholly as the purposeful and miraculously-gifted human beings that we are. What a sad loss for humanity.

But what about an in-decisive mind?, isn’t it a waste to load your mind with too many things which finally let you end up with something similar to what you would have had with an instant decision, maybe with a small price to pay, of course!!, but none the less with something in a more easier and faster manner. Things that tend to occupy your mind with no concreteness are fatal. Now lets in brief discuss about people who are not IN for thinking at all.

Can you imagine a scenario where you try to communicate good to somebody whom you really like as a person and would want to see him/her grow with what ever he/she has and finally to see that he/she do not care of what you ever said ending up doing exactly the opposite. I have had great instances as such (here I am refering to my dear friend Hari Raju). I do not say I might have had the perfect solution in that case, but I am sure I was wiser.

It is interesting that many business models still silently promote firmness of stance at the same time they promote flexibility of thinking/open mindedness, and that the patriarchal attitude that seems to pervade even these days is one that says if you change your mind and are in a position of leadership, that somehow you are weak or indecisive--a clear negative. That's holdover stuff from an old attitude based in male “egocentrism” (lolz)--and it still holds a lot of great men and women hostage in business and life even today, although we're making progress.

Being tuned in for new information and "clues", and being open to weighing and combining them with inner knowledge & experience are the essentials of wisdom, hard-won only through the journey of critical thought and consideration. The generations that follow are counting on us to be open minded enough to gain such wisdom by being open minded enough to carefully consider new information, learn constantly, and apply our newfound wisdom and revelations.

Being open minded and not closing your eyes and ears calls for some timing too!!!

It depends on the circumstances. If, for example, someone says 'I will never kill anyone unless I absolutely have to, in self defense, and then steadfastly refuses to change their mind, I think this is a good thing. Killing someone is a terrible thing to do, and should certainly be actively avoided. If however, someone says 'I don't want anything to do with anyone from England' and then steadfastly refuses to change their mind, this is ridiculous and prejudiced, because there are a lot of perfectly nice people from England. Also, if you refuse to EVER change your mind about ANYTHING, you will be grumpy and stubborn and unwilling to learn, and nobody should ever be like that.

If it's something like changing your mind on your principles then I don't' think it's OK because that's what you stand for. Someone who changes their principles often doesn't seem like a strong/good person. And if it's like changing their mind on positions they take on controversial issues, then I think it's totally acceptable. The only reason the issues are debatable is that people can change other's opinions and broaden their minds.

In circumstances like those, changing your mind is part of the process that opens your mind to new ideas and concepts. It shows that you aren't completely narrow-minded and stubborn. It is crucial to being a good debater, or anything that involves discussion.

So, generally speaking, you should always be receptive to new things and open minded enough to make a fair and unbiased alteration to your opinion. But remember that there are exceptions-like the murder example. You need to have a strong enough character so as not to be led into evil.

So, should one have a fickle mind or an in-decisive mind? Well, like I discussed above, one has its own way of thinking and if its not too narrow minded its perfectly alright to go ahead with one’s own way. Completely refusing to change your mind and listen to others is like shutting the door that allows your mind to grow and learn. What's the point of life, if not to live and learn?