Stop for a second and ask yourself: ‘How hard is it to actually change someone’s mind?’
Personally, I think it can be pretty damn hard.
The central problem seems to be that, once we have publicly stated any kind of opinion it instantly becomes part of our psychological identity – something that the ego will rush in to defend with the frenzied passion of a wounded Siberian mongoose.
When we feel attacked or threatened in this manner, our knee-jerk reaction is to close down all outside inputs as we ever more frantically seek the certainty and opioid-like relief of ‘being right’.
Which is why, by subconsciously equating being proven wrong with actual damage to our psyche, we are substantively slowing the pace at which we can evolve our ideas.
Changing one’s mind demands humility.
It’s one of the reasons I write. When I think something may be true, I don’t actually know how I feel about it until I have caged it on the page and am able to regard it objectively; a crystalline structure of thought, able to be rotated thru space and viewed from more than one angle
More often than not, once I have written it out I will see flaws and gaps that were not previously apparent; sometimes small, sometimes glaring, sometimes completely invalidating.
Being subject to no-one but myself at this point, I then have the choice of either: working out the wrinkles and refining the proposition, or disregarding the idea altogether.
Writing my ideas down is a way for me to bypass the ego.
Changing our minds, both in private and in public, is a noble and luxurious act, unsung and unappreciated in our time. As our guiding ideas and principles evolve, so then, do we. This is The Real Work.
I hope it finds you well.
Much love,
J
I’m Working on some Cool New Stuff.
If you’d like an email when I release something new, click the link below. I won’t email you for any other reason, or share your address with anyone else.
i am enjoying your writing…and your diction
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Thankyou kindly.
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Very well weitten
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Thanks a lot ;-)
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Shredding through ego, scratching out less-than words and posting your thoughts is the balm we need this day as the world sits on a knife-edge. Here’s hoping we all make it to the other side…
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Here’s hoping. ;-)
I am optimistic.
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Fingers crossed…
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Fingers crossed.
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We can do it!
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That’s the spirit! We totally can.
I’m thinking of staying up and live-tweeting the election. Will you be on Twitter later?
– J
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I’m not on Twitter but I checked out your feed and yes, I needed to see Bean’s sweet face! I love your positive tweets – I just got an e-mail from my Aussie friend who now lives in Vancouver, she writes that she is freaking out over the election, she needs to see Bean’s picture, pronto!
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Totally send it to her. I am thinking that we are going to need much solace in the times to come.
There is some hard work coming.
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That’s one of the reasons I admire Malcolm X. When he came back from his pilgrimage to Mecca, he said basically, “You know what? I’ve met some new people, had some new experiences, learned some new things, and I have changed my mind.”
I can’t think of any other public figure who’s done that.
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You are right, I always find it refreshing when someone is able to own it publicly, irrespective of politics.
If you are interested, the Dalai Lama reversed his position on gay rights, and there have been a bunch of others who have made similarly cool public 180’s.
One of the many reasons I admire Malcolm X is the way he used his time in prison to educate himself. Education is a beautiful thing.
Thanks for this, and have a great night,
– J
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Nicely said! As you probably know, the word essay comes from the French, to try, to attempt. Ideas always evolving, yes. One reason I don’t like set philosophies, too confining, stagnant. Thank you for your insights.
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I did not know that, but I like it very much. Thankyou kindly ;-)
Thanks for reading, and for taking the time to comment.
Have a good one,
– J
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I enjoyed this post very much..your words ring true! I, too, find that putting my thoughts on paper allows me to look at things from a different perspective. For me it is imperative that I be able to think openly and be able to discuss differences with others, and learn and grow because of being able to think with an open mind. I pity those who can’t be open to diverse thinking. Thank you for this post!!!
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Thankyou for reading it, and for taking the time to comment. Really glad you found something of value to you.
Have a great day,
– J
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