1. It means you learn new things.
It is impossible to change your mind if you do not receive new information. Books, articles, podcasts, and lectures provide food for thought and facts that can reshape your old beliefs about yourself and the world.
For example, you were suspicious of doctors and medicines and believed that it was better to be treated with something natural. But later they studied the issue, learned that homeopathy is useless, and traditional medicine works more as an assistant, and then with reservations – and changed their attitude to treatment.
Or they thought that children needed to be raised very strictly, with carrots and sticks, but they read books by modern child psychologists – Yulia Gippenreiter, Lyudmila Petranovskaya, Faber and Mazlish – realized that relationships need to be built differently, and revised their educational methods.
2. It means you think and draw conclusions.
That is, you not only receive new information, but are also able to analyze it, compare it with existing data, accept it and integrate it into your picture of the world. This can be difficult, especially if the knowledge you gain goes against your previous beliefs.
Let’s say you supported a politician or a party, and then you learned that your opponents’ program was more logical and realistic. Or they were afraid to leave the capital, because it was supposedly impossible to do business and make money in the regions, but they studied the experience of other people, realized that this was not the case, and moved.
3. This means that you know how to listen and hear.
And also that you have a fairly diverse environment and you are not afraid to let people who are not like you approach you.
Let’s be honest, arguments and discussions rarely help to find the truth – most often it is a way to take out negative emotions, rise above your opponent and stroke your pride. This is why people who are able to calmly listen to an alternative point of view, think about it and admit that it is not without meaning deserve respect. If you believe researchsuch individuals are very rare; basically we simply block information that does not coincide with our picture of the world.
True, it is important here to include critical thinking, check information and not take anyone’s word for it, even if everything seems very convincing. Otherwise, there is a risk that you will be deceived or drawn into a dubious adventure.
4. It means your life doesn’t stand still.
Important events in life serve as an impetus to reconsider your views and values. A person’s coordinate system can be greatly restructured after he visits another country, meets a new friend or loved one, has children, or finds an interesting job. Or, on the contrary, he will lose someone close to him, fail, or lose money.
A convinced careerist, having become a mother, may decide that she wants to raise children and paint pictures. A cautious homebody, having started traveling, may realize that he is ready to sell his apartment and rent a bungalow on the seashore.
The changes and discoveries they bring indicate that a person is moving forward, trying new things, sometimes stumbling and making mistakes. In other words, it is developing.
5. It means you are ready to break free from stereotypes.
Let’s say you were a vegan, but realized that you missed animal products and at this stage, for you, a diet of meat, fish and eggs is preferable to an exclusively plant-based menu. And you are not afraid to honestly admit it, even if you previously encouraged everyone to switch to the “green” side and swore never to eat meat in their lives.
Or you took part in femininity marathons and reposted articles on the wall about how women shouldn’t work – and now you’re building your career with all your might. But at the same time, we are quite ready to admit that we used to think too narrowly.
People often continue to stand their ground only because they are not ready even to admit to themselves that they made the wrong choice or followed incorrect ideas and attitudes. This leads to disappointment, prevents us from developing, and makes us and our surroundings unhappy. Therefore, if you have decided to change your worldview, you can be proud of yourself: it requires courage, strength and flexibility.
How to form your point of view 🧐