Someone Asked “What Is Something You Changed Your Stance On After Learning More About It?”, Here Are 30 Of The Most Fascinating Answers
Have you ever been extremely passionate about a topic just to years later look back and be embarrassed that you ever felt that way? Maybe it was supporting a certain politician or animal rights group in college, but since then you’ve realized they don’t represent your beliefs as much as you once thought. The beauty of being human is that we can form opinions on anything, and those opinions aren’t static.
Last week, Reddit user Pineapple_WarpDrive reached out to fellow members of the Ask Reddit community to pose the question, “What is something you changed your stance on after learning more about it?” And a very interesting conversation was sparked. We’ve gathered some of the most eye-opening responses for you to read right here, and as you make your way through the list, we implore you to keep an open mind. Perhaps your opinions will be changed too!
Then if you’re looking for another Bored Panda piece that’ll get you thinking, we’ve got the perfect one for you to read next right here.
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Understanding why people shake their baby.
Of course it is absolutely horrible and it seems like it should make sense that nobody should even think about doing it but I have an understanding of how it can happen now.
I had my own daughter 4 years ago and swore up and down that nobody but a monster would shake their child but let me tell you that sleep deprivation is hell and it is terrifying.
When my daughter was a newborn, she was crying very hard one particular night and nothing we did seemed to soothe her crying. My insanely sleep deprived brain started trying to take over and I could feel the urge to shake her.
Luckily, I had just enough cognitive function to recognize that I was in a very vulnerable and bad situation. I set my daughter back down in her crib and walked away for a little while so as to wake myself up some more.
That is the most scared I've ever been of what the human brain is capable of.
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say before that “people can’t change”. While this may have been uttered by a bitter, pessimistic individual, it’s actually a pretty common belief to hold. Whether it’s in reference to someone who cheated on their partner, someone struggling with addiction or a student who just won’t do their homework, feeling this way about another person isn’t likely to encourage them to change their habits.
But this list is a prime example that people can change. I think the issue is less about whether or not people can and more about whether or not they want to. People can certainly enact change within themselves, but we aren’t often successful in trying to alter anyone else. Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, addresses this in a piece on his website saying, “For a person to truly change, they must feel that the change is theirs, that they chose it, they control it. Otherwise, it loses all its effect.”
Assisted Suicide. I was against it, but after seeing my uncle suffer with extreme Rheumatoid Arthritis for a few years before eventually dying from it, I’m all for it now. If we put down our pets when they’re suffering, why can’t we do the same to our humans with their written consent?
A human life riddled with pain and agony is not a life anymore. Some people get so in their own feelings that they forget their loved ones are essentially suffering. "How can I play God and decide who gets to live and who gets to die?" What about basic compassion? Assisted suicide is cherishing human life, it's giving the opportunity to the suffering people to die with dignity.
In the case of wanting someone else in our lives to change, we often have to sit back and fight the impulse to impose our own opinions. It can be painful, but as Mark notes, “The best attempts at helping someone often backfire. You can’t make someone be confident or respect themselves or take responsibility—because the means you use to do this destroys confidence, respect, and responsibility.”
So what does he recommend to gently guide loved ones towards better choices while maintaining our relationships? First, he notes that leading by example can be an effective tactic. If you think your partner is drinking too much and it’s beginning to negatively impact their life or health, you can set an example by inviting them to stay in with you more often or opting for nonalcoholic drinks in their company. It might not cause them to reconsider their own choices, but it does present them with an option they might have previously not even considered.
Universal healthcare. When I actually learned more about healthcare systems in other countries and then compared it to my own (I live in America) it really showed me just how far behind we are. For years I staunchly thought it was a horrible idea, but now I’m pissed everyday cause the US doesn’t have it.
I really don't understand how people think universal healthcare is a bad idea, it exists in all EU countries plus the UK, and people aren't weighed down with medical debt.
Abortion. Grew up Christian (not anymore). I started shifting more left but didn’t know if I could call myself pro-choice. So I researched it. 70%+ of abortions are done by women who live below the poverty line. 60% of those (45% of all) are done by women who also already have a child.
So its a mother who already struggles to feed her child making an impossible choice. Maybe instead of telling her what to do, we can figure out how to provide her basic needs and healthcare and educate her so she can get out of poverty.
Even if you eliminate the poverty no one should be allowed to force you to keep a lump of developing cells in your body. One which will change your body and life forever, and you might potentially not even survive it. Especially if it was conceived after rape, or if it generates a risk to the person carrying it.
No one should be forced against their will to have their body used to keep someone else alive. This basic precept is vital in cases regarding separating conjoined twins. Each twin has equal right to life, but one twin cannot be used to keep another twin alive.
Load More Replies...And abortion is not going to stop even if it is ilegal. Women are going to look for ways to abort. I hate politicians and religious people that think that their morality is above womens health and choice.
To hear forced-birth crusaders talk, abortion began with Roe v Wade and will magically go when (or if?) that decision is reversed. No, no, ten thousand times no! Abortion will move to back alleys, or risky self-aborting with knitting needles and the like. People will suffer infection, permanent injury, infertility, even death. But do the "pro-lifers" care? Nope. And where the heck are they when people march against war and gun violence, or for affordable health care or raising the minimum wage?
Load More Replies...I am a Christian and would never have an abortion myself, but that doesn't mean that I can't support someone that does want to get one. The decision is incredibly difficult and a woman doesn't need to be judged for it. They need someone to hold their hand.
It can be really hard to tell how you will react in a situation that you have never been in before. Many people have some shiny and polished ideals, right until they suddently find themselves in a chaos they could not image, and realise some things that they simply did not see before. I think there are more women out there, who have stated that they are against abortion but who secretely have had one, than most of us realise.
Load More Replies...I saw a sign on the road today encouraging people to be foster parents. The system is overwhelmed. Christian fascists want to add to that burden. They like to stand and protest outside abortion clinics, but never once asks any of those woman what help they need to perhaps change their minds. I do not believe there is a conservative alive who would not seek an abortion for his wife or daughter if they became pregnant from rape. Yet, they are completely on board with banning abortions. Overturning Roe versus Wade will not stop abortions. It will stop safe abortions. It will stop abortions for a lot of underprivileged women. Absolutely nothing will change for the wealthy. They will continue on as they have been doing their whole lives. The entire "pro-life" movement is so riddled with hypocrisy it makes me ill with disgust.
Actually the #1 effective "anti abortion" method- is birth control. You never hear these pro birth people scream about birth control and education. How about helping these ladies not get pregnant in the 1st place! I read today there is actually a "person" ( of a specific political party) who totally wants birth control banned ( except for the wealthy of course). How else are you going to populate the "plantations"/ prisons for all that free labor.
That's because they don't want you to have birth control either.
Load More Replies...If you're anti-abortion because of Christianity, you need to read your Bible, which specifically says that neither life nor ensoulment occur until you take your first breath. See Genesis 2:7, Ezekiel 37:6, and Job 33:4.
Or if they don't accept that, wouldn't the aborted "babies" go straight to heaven? Isn't that a good thing?
Load More Replies...And what about the mother of 3 who is told she will die if she continues this pregnancy?
Happened to me. I have zero regrets. I did what was in the best interest of the children I already had. They didn't deserve to grow up motherless.
Load More Replies...Free long lasting birth control with education reduces abortion by 30 to 50%, according to studies. That’s more than the reduction from banning abortion but the pro forced birthers don’t want to do that because it defeats their goal of controlling and punishing women.
I too grew up in a religion that was against abortion, but when I was 13, I met another 13-year-old girl who was pregnant, it changed my mind. This thirteen-year-old girl, who legally could not consent to sex, was pregnant with a baby she hated. She was scared. She was a child. She was pregnant. That infant was going to be born, and when it came out, opened its brand-new eyes, it will have to call a child who hated it, Mom.
I don't see this as being an issue of left Vs right. In my country it has been legal for about 60 years and is accepted by the vast majority except the religious zealots..
It's accepted by the vast majority of Americans too but because of the way our laws are written, it has allowed a minority to wield far too much power.
Load More Replies...I found out around the 6 week mark that the baby wasn't developing right. I had a feeling something was wrong as I had been in constant pain for a few weeks. I had already suffered a miscarriage and as much as it hurt my husband and I we made the decision to terminate the pregnancy. Just to be clear this was after 2 ultrasounds and a long discussion with my doctor. Both stating that the chances of another miscarriage were very high and could be worse the further into the pregnancy I got. It still hurts to this day but knew it was the right thing to do.
I watched 'Story of Women', a 70's movie about the last woman guillotined in France. It's about a real person who illegally performed abortions in the 40's. Up till this point, I was on the fence. To be fair, I was a teenager when I saw it and didn't really know much about the topic. Had always heard everyone around me say it was bad. 'Killing babies' sounded bad. Didn't actually know anybody who'd had one that I knew of. The movie does a good job picking apart all the reasons why abortion should be a safe and legal option. If you ever feel the need to try to convince someone of this, it's a movie I highly reccomend they watch.
It is none of my business. It is none of any politician's, or anyone's business. Abortion, and the choice to do so, is ultimately between the woman, her doctor, and God (if you so believe). I do NOT want a country where politicians decide your medical treatment.
I can’t even fathom what abortion bans will bring next. Not to mention the fact that this will bring women back a hundred years. This will also kill a lot of women who are going to be forced to do illegal abortions without the right medical procedure. It will also force a lot more kids to live in poverty. Women who seek abortions will be looked at as criminals. I can’t believe we are actually still discussing this topic. So sad.
Oklahoma has just passed a bill making it illegal for abortion from conception onward.
It's such a strange dichotomy when -generalizing here but- conservatives who are really against abortion are also against education, free day care, paid and extended maternity leave, good social services like Wic and EBT, teaching women they don't have to have unprotected sex to keep men happy and to have self-respect and, with financial help, can survive on their own. Don't get me wrong, I believe in personal responsibility but we shouldn't take out the parent's bad decisions on kids. Regulate what the funds can be used for, sure- it shouldn't be a lottery win. But if they knew they could take 2 years off and be with the child, recover, and not starve, have day care that didn't bankrupt them when they do go back to work, people might consider keeping the baby. There's also a thing now about more and more people not having children. I'm one of them. If I knew I could afford it I might have. If I could stay home and raise my child I would but I couldn't afford it.
Just adding because I ran out of space... I believe there would be less abortions if we didn't make it almost impossible to afford a child on your own. But the people who are so truly against abortions don't offer any real solutions outside of abstinence. You'd think they'd be all for social programs to help avoid the need to have to have one. That being said, I don't think you should only be allowed to have one because you can't afford it. You don't have to justify your decision to anyone. I don't personally believe it should be used as a form of birth control, but it should be legal, safe and your own decision.
Load More Replies...The reason abortion was ever made legal in the first place is because it was mainly the good southern Christian girls who were getting pregnant and then having the horrible back-alley abortions because of their conservative surroundings. So that melded with the liberals thinking that everyone should be able to choose and let the law be overturned. If the Republicans manage to make it illegal again, it will eventually be overturned again because the back alley abortion horror stories will be back again.
Poverty is not the one and only reason. However, in the USA I would think poverty could play a large role in someone deciding to terminate a pregnancy. How much does it cost to give birth for instance? I am currently worried and angry that my gas bill (cooking and heating) has tripled. If I found out I was pregnant I would be even more worried about the cost of raising a child but at least I know I wouldn’t have to pay for giving birth.
You're not looking at the big picture. Sure, provide basic needs and healthcare and education, but no woman should be forced to have a child.
Finally a post that approaches abortion as a symptom rather than a problem! Right education and support is the way forward. Of course, abortion should never be ruled out as there will always be times that it has to be done (be it medical, or failed contracteption or sudden change of circumstances or seed of crime or something else).
When I was way younger, before being pregnant was even a possibility for me, I used to be against it, under any and all circumstances. Glad I changed my mind on that.
Not only should no one be able to force you to keep a pregnancy you don't want, the standard for becoming parents should be the same as any other potentially dangerous situation: Prove you have the capability of performing the task at hand, before you're given the freedom to do so. Birth control and morning after pills should be MANDATORY until parenting classes are taken, psych evaluations are done, and you're able to show you have the financial means to support the little money sucking parasite. We require people to get fishing licenses, drivers licenses, we age restrict smoking, drinking, owning guns and renting a car. But all you need to become a parent is the ability to find someone of the opposite gender to make a questionable life choice and everyone just collectively assumes "eh....you'll figure it out"
As a mother who is living below the poverty line (technically), it's not always about lack of education, healthcare and knowing how to provide basic needs. There are people with only elementary school education who are living well-off enough, and people of all income groups who receive healthcare (I guess it's harder in the the States) with or without employee insurance (which is possible in countries with universal healthcare). I know about nutrition and put basic needs over luxuries. The issue is far more complicated and has more to do with the lack of advancement training in the workplace, dismal raises, and all the other issues that have been brought up in other areas of topics. As well as lack of affordable post secondary education. I do agree that if you know you're just getting by, or even living comfortably, with the amount of kids (or there lack of), then they should have access to contraceptives and abortions freely.
So was I. In my country many had abortion (many forced)when they found out they were having girls(it's illegal to find out the sex before birth,abortion is not illegal).As a young person,I thought that's the main reason people had abortions because otherwise people kept having kids.Now I know and understand there are many reasons people have abortion and not everyone just wants to avoid having female child.
I want to see a reduction in abortions until they are extremely rare. I want to see that happen because the need, unwanted or unsupportable, pregnancies are rare. I want proper sex ed nationwide, affordable birth control for everyone, aid programs to help provide for wanted children, and affordable, IE universal, healthcare for mom and baby throughout pregnancy and after birth. Still not make it illegal, but serious reduction because there simply isn't the same need
Or, she just doesn't want a kid and that should be a good enough reason to have an abortion.
Any government who forces a woman to remain pregnant will eventually be able to also force women to get abortions…this is what happens when you lose sovereignty over ur own body
Someone on tiktok quoted a doctor who said something to the extent of, "Why should we allow a fetus legal rights that nobody else on the globe has...the right to use another person's body against their will". I'm sure I massacred the phraseology, but it remains such a good point!
Why does no one talk about birth control? Does it take nine months to decide you don't want a child. Take a pill...end of problem!
As long as abstinence is the only 100% form of contraception, there has to be a way out.
I agree. But what about birth control? : the pill, condom, blah, blah! We must educate these "low income" women AND MEN to be aware of the consequence of unprotected sex. It truly bothers me that thousands of babies are aborted when they should never have been conceived!
Birth control is not 100% reliable. 1 in 100 pregnancies is due to contraception failure.
Load More Replies...The problem with this is largely that a lot of people, particularly in the south actually, look at abortion as murder. They don’t care what science says or what circumstances are. They also, like people all over the country, have no idea what Roe vs Wade is about. And they really ought to consider that. I read Roe v Wade. I’m extremely disappointed and my opinion of abortion has changed about halfway.
The question comes down to is an unborn child an alive human being. If they are, then stripping them of their right to life is a crime and a civil rights issue. If they aren’t, then who cares, do what you want. The fact is that it is an undeniable scientific fact that an unborn human is still an alive human being. They meet the four criteria for life, and humans can’t procreate with each other and make anything but another human. Of course women (and men, frankly) should be assisted as much as possible with poverty, rehabilitation, life skills, etc. But once a baby is conceived, “terminating the pregnancy” is simply killing someone because they are unwanted, the highest form of discrimination and oppression.
But having sex is the only way to make a baby. I know people like pleasure but condoms are cheap or being careful too.
Would you like to meet my third child conceived whist "being careful"?
Load More Replies...People talking here as if most of the women wanting abortion were raped. Guess what? You don’t need to have s e xd, you csn pretty much close your legs and educate yourself instead of supporting murder of the most vulnerable people, babies. Just like euthanasia is the murder of the vulnerable, elderly, very convenient money wise isn’t?
Don't you love it when they slip up and accidentally admit it that actually *is* about controlling women?
Load More Replies...Next, Mark recommends providing them with better questions, rather than answers. Avoid explicitly sharing your own opinions, and ask the other person questions that allow them to reflect on their actions. Mark provides the example of rather than telling someone they need to request a raise, you could ask them, “Do you believe you’re fairly paid?” They won’t feel judged, and it’s empowering for them to come to their own conclusions. Whether they agree with you or not, they’re at least considering the topic you raised.
Lastly, Mark notes how important it is to provide help unconditionally. Whether you think you know what’s best for them or not, resist the urge to tell them exactly what to do. Make yourself available, so they can take you up on the offer if they want to. Lots of people don’t want to hear advice, but they may relate to a personal story you share of a similar situation. And you’re not forcing them to do anything, especially change; you’re just opening up their mind.
Homosexuality. I “knew” that the Bible said it was wrong (fewer times than it said divorce was wrong). In college I actually met a lesbian for the first time. I had known them for months before I found it out though, so my brain was confused.
“But they’re normal! But they’re gay! So does that change anything? How does that affect me? Wait . . . That doesn’t affect me? So then what is the issue?”
I’ve never gone back to that stance.
Vaccines. My mom has always been an anti vaxxer, so I grew up with all the propaganda. Once i moved out and had to get all my vaccines for my job, I *did my own research* and learned the truth.
When it comes to what we change our minds on, it can be anything and everything. Maybe when you were growing up you hated brussels sprouts because of the way your parents prepared them, but after trying them roasted in the oven and drizzled with a bit of balsamic glaze, they became one of your favorite vegetables. Politics are certainly a common topic that people’s opinions ebb and flow on. Perhaps as a teenager you felt one way because that’s what your parents told you was right. Then when you went to college you joined some activist groups, and your political ideology did a 180. According to the Pew Research Center, even social media can play a role in affecting our political beliefs. In 2018, 14% of Americans say something they saw on social media caused them to alter their opinion on a political or social issue.
Jehovahs witnesses. I grew up as one and when I finally started doing research outside of their publications I couldn’t believe what I saw, and I left.
EDIT: I was disfellowshipped because I didn’t have the balls to disassociate myself. There were a lot of horrible things that happened to me in the religion in 2017-2019, so I felt my only way out was suicide. I failed my attempt in January of 2020, and was disfellowshipped in August of 2020, about four months after I got out of rehab. I lost my home, my job, my family, and my friends. Pretty much my entire life foundation. But I’ve built a support system from scratch and now I have friends who love me for me, and not just based on religion.
It’s sad but not many people get to start a brand new life in their 20’s so I’m grateful in many ways as well as grieving those I lost.
ANOTHER EDIT: Thank you for all of the love and the awards! It’s so heart warming to see so many people going through the same experiences. We are never alone and I’m sorry so many of you have been effected by this too.
FINAL EDIT: If you are a Jehovah’s Witness, I really don’t need you commenting on this to tell me I’m wrong and you’re not in a cult. What I’ve been through speaks for itself. So please let me be.
I would be dead if I was a Jehovah witness coz I needed a blood transfusion. How anyone could choose a deity that we don't know actually exists, over saving the life of your own child/partner etc. F**k that s**t.
Climate Change. Looking at the evidence it's clearly a hoax.
Just kidding, I was a firm denier until I had to do an assignment proving or disproving it in highschool. Realised I couldn't find any decent source to back up my claim. Basically changed my mind on the spot
Helium balloons; helium is a finite resource of immense scientific value and we use it for party decorations
Well, today I learned something ! I thought it was produced chemically, or by some sort of extraction process from other stuff. Turns out it's a natural gaz, and yes, we're slowly depleting the world reserves.
Certain groups were more impressionable, however. Men between the ages of 18-29, for example, were the most likely to be affected by what they read online, with 29% of them reporting that a social media post changed their views on an issue. The people who note that social media affects their beliefs also credit those sites for inspiring them to become more socially active. 67% of them said that social media is important to them for “finding others who share views about important topics” and 63% of them say social media is important for “getting involved with political or social issues”. 56% of them also noted that social media is important to them personally for “giving them a venue to express their political opinions”.
Horse racing. I come from an area that takes great pride in it. I've recently learned more about it and feel that it is animal abuse. They are shot up with steroids and other drugs and die more often than you would even think.
Working Hard.
More specifically, working hard in a corporate environment. I like to work hard for things that I own and maintain, my home, my family, my body, my hobbies. But I've worked for almost 20 years for big tech companies. I've started at entry level jobs and worked up to middle management. Support jobs. Sales jobs. I've made 6 figures.
What I've noticed is that they want to pay you less and keep training and experience as a reward. That is to say, you are not working for a paycheck. You are working towards the next thing. But they convince everyone to work hard in an entry level position, working unpaid overtime and you might be rewarded with a higher job. Statistically, you will not be promoted. There are 30 people on your team who all have that same goal and you can't all be supervisor or manager.
Now, I just work for my paycheck. If you would like me to work harder, you can pay me more. I'm not going to go above and beyond for 2 years just to get passed over again.
I didn't think orthopedic shoes were for me, but I stand corrected.
By 2020, 23% of Americans on social media said that “they have changed their views about a political or social issue because of something they saw on social media in the past year”. That alone (the jump from 14% to 23% over the course of 2 years) is a perfect indication of how people’s opinions change over time. People between the ages of 18-29 were still the most impressionable in 2020, with 34% of them reporting that their views had shifted from social media. The topics that people were most likely to change their minds about were the Black Lives Matter Movement, police brutality/need for police reform, political parties/ideologies/politicians, and race relations in general. One 64 year old woman stated, “Reading articles on the BLM movement has opened my eyes to the degree of systemic racism in this country and the world.” While another respondent, a 50 year old man said, “I used to support BLM, but now I see them as violent domestic terrorists not interested in addressing the real problems within the Black community. BLM is about a communist revolution not about helping the Black community…”
Mormons.
My ex-wife’s sister married one.
Before they met, my opinion of Mormons was “oh they’re basically just Christian’s with a couple wacky beliefs. They have multiple wives! How kooky yet ultimately harmless.”
The more of his family & community I met and interacted with, the more clear it became that Mormonism is a cult that preys on weak people like my ex-SIL. She converted within three months. His temple wouldn’t allow her own mother or father inside during the wedding. They had to sit outside in the sun, alone, then pay for a separate “ring ceremony” they were allowed to attend.
Learning more about a different culture or religion usually makes me more accepting, but maaaan f**k Mormons.
I was raised a Mormon. The oppressiveness is very subtle and creates sort of a Stockholm Syndrome among true believers. One of my biggest objections with them is their one-size-fits-all view of life that they claim is God's Plan. Conform conform conform...
Feminism. I thought it excluded the inequalities men face. I learned that if the problem women face is fixed it takes care of the ones men do as a bonus.
Homelessness. I used to have no patience or or empathy thinking that if they really wanted to change their circumstances they could find the resources. My mind changed when I began working with special education children and realized most of these people probably have specific learning disabilities that our school system/their families failed to identify or help them with. I also realize how privileged I grew up (my dad was a store manager and my mom a teacher so nothing too special but still we had everything we needed and good relationships with each other) and how much worse some people grew up with and how easily people can get trapped in bad circumstances.
I used to think most homeless people were criminals, druggies or alcoholics but after watching quite a few docos and lots of research I discovered that most homelessness is caused by unfortunate circumstances. Things like mental illness (main cause), disability, aged out of the foster system, family abuse, job loss which cause housing loss, medical debt (US) and much more. A lot of homeless turn to drugs and alcohol once they are on the street. It's a way tonumb their reality, as well as pass the time. There is not enough support for homeless people and what services there are, there scattered all over the place or just not enough to go around. Homelessness is FAR more complicated than you actually think.
While we’re certainly all capable of changing our minds, it can be challenging to get there. We tend to be stubborn, so Dr. Maria Cohut of Medical News Today took a look at why exactly that is. She references a study that investigated “what, exactly, happens in the brain that makes people so unlikely to change their minds”, and notes that facts are often not enough to alter people’s opinions. “For instance,” the researchers of the study wrote, “over the last decade climate scientists have expressed greater confidence that climate change is man-made. Yet, the percentage of the population that believes this notion to be true has dropped over the same period of time.”
All lives matter VS Black Lives Matter. I’m not racist, and I thought saying that “all lives matter” was better than BLM because it included everyone, meaning that everyone is important. Thankful I have a wife who is smarter than me and helped me to realized that BLM is important because of the attention that it shows/brings to the group of people who are being treated unfairly. That’s the nice thing about being open minded is you can change and not feel bad about it.
Cats! I never grew up around cats, thought they were mean. Now I date a girl who has a cat and I have a cat of my own. I love them so much.
I hated cats for years, didn't help that my dad was anti cats, I am allergic to cats and the first time I pet a cat the bugger scratched me. Anyway over the years my mind has changed, I don't hate cats anymore (I hate a lot of cat owners instead lol) If I wasn't allergic I would even consider having one as a pet.
That case where McDonald's had to pay a bunch of money to a woman who spilled hot coffee on herself.
According to the researchers, confirmation bias is a strong force. This was tested through an experiment where participants were randomly paired off with partners and shown images of real estate listings. The participants were then asked to evaluate what they would expect the asking price of each property to be, either more or less than an amount set by investors. Each participant then decided how much they would be willing to invest. Next they were asked to take functional MRI scans facing their partners, with a glass screen dividing them. Each participant could see on the glass screen images of the properties, the asking price estimates and how much they said they would be willing to invest. Then, the participants were shown their partners’ responses.
Turns out girls don't have cooties. It's actually pretty great to spend time with one. You don't even have to pick on them to get their attention... Who knew!
Being sober, took a eightish year landslide to one of the darkest places I've been in my life and not once in those eight years you could of talked me into putting down the bottle of whiskey that was glued to my hand. Been sober coming up on five years now and I couldn't think of being anything other than sober. I won't sit here and say it's not easy, it is honestly one of the hardest things I have to deal with on a consistent basis. But the rewards are priceless.
Getting therapy. My upbringing is within an asian household so when it comes to dealing with emotions, we tend to shove that into jar and move on.
I used to think that receiving therapy is for the mentally ill, weak etc. I don't have "problems" therefore I don't need therapy. But after recent events in 2021 with certain people I tried therapy and after a few sessions it just revealed some baggage I wasn't even aware of.
Honestly I wish I started earlier when I was in my 20s. I would be more emotionally prepared, and would probably have had healthier relationships with women if I had dealt with the trauma growing up and from my first relationship that devastated me.
We have a friend from Shanghai and felt the same about therapy as that's how he was brought up. That was until he ended up in a mental health facility. Now he is much more understanding when it comes to mental health and the necessary support.
The researchers found that, when their partners agreed with their evaluation of the property value, participants would be more willing to invest more into those houses, especially if their partners had said they would invest larger amounts. Yet when the partnered participants disagreed about the property value, their opinions would fail to influence each other’s final decision as to how much they would be willing to invest in that house. The conclusion researchers came to, after studying the brain activity revealed by the MRI scans, is that our “brains fail to encode opposing views”. We ignore beliefs that contradict our own and cling to ideas that strengthen ours.
Pineapple on pizza is absolutely delicious as f**k. and the only reason I ever thought it was bad was beause I was bandwagonning on the hate just like everyone else is. It's hard to appreciate a piece of food if you literally go into it with the intent of hating it.
For me, it was exactly the opposite. I thought it'd be okay until I tried and immediately hated it. However, I don't hate on others what they eat, it's just my personal decision.
Legalization of marijuana. Used to be incredibly anti drug and pro keeping it illegal. Now I fully support decriminalization at the very least (still extremely anti drug personally, but came to my senses regarding real life)
Same. We were inundated with anti drug propaganda as kids, and up until my late teens I thought you tried weed once and next day you were a junkie (drugs were also non existent in the area where i grew up, so I didn't know anyone who had tried it) Then I read some stuff, and met some people, and though I've never used drugs myself I'm definitely pro legalization and regulation. That's the logical route, based on the science.
Mother Teresa, my family spoke highly of her when I was a kid, she received a number of honours from Indian government, won the Nobel Peace Prize and the church made her a saint, I thought she was a good person until a friend told me the truth about her and showed me some articles.
Although opinions can be difficult to alter in brief moments, according to Christopher Soto at NPR, our personalities naturally change throughout our entire lives. Soto first explained that our personalities are organized into the “Big Five” trait dimensions: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, negative emotionality, and open-mindedness. According to various studies, most of us can become more agreeable, conscientious and emotionally resilient as we get older. Soto notes that these shifts typically happen over decades and are hard to pinpoint to specific causes, but they can be beneficial to our lives. Further developing these specific traits can even lead to happier, longer lasting marriages, according to a study in Sage Journals. This slow personality evolution can also explain how our beliefs can shift over time as well.
Roundabouts. Based on all the complaints, I assumed they were confusing and unnecessary. When my city put in a bunch, I realized that I no longer had to wait 3 minutes at all of the punishment lights. Love roundabouts now.
...Of course that didn't stop the older population of the city from trying to have them removed. One guy even ran for city council on the platform that he would immediately put the stop lights back in. Change is hard, I guess.
Nuclear Power. I used to be anti-nuke, based solely on the potential worst-outcome of a catastrophic failure. While in college I saw a presentation on the various short-term and long-term negativities of all the different power generation methods and nuclear is actually one of the safest, even including the 3 major incidents of Chernobyl, 3-Mile Island, and Fukushima. Additionally, coal-burning power is so unfathomably bad for everyone involved in every stage from mining the coal to living anywhere close to the plant that it is just orders of magnitude worse than anything else. Nuclear has the best balance of reliability, base-load, safety, and ROI of any method known for generating power.
Ok, talking about safety is alright. What about the storage of waste? Deconstruction of old reactors (storing that waste too) I would go this way: if we stop using it, we stop developing new methods , netter procedurs and so on. So not a complete no, but still, it’s not forever a go to way of producing electricity.
People going on morning runs. I kept reading stuff about how it helps with anxiety and depression. I didn't really understand because one, who tf has the energy to get up before the sun rises to RUN??? and two, what if ppl look at me weird etc etc... One day after a major afternoon breakdown which lead to deep sleep i woke up at 4am. Felt sick of looking at my room, changed into leggings and a hoodie, left the house without anyone knowing (i left a note) and started walking. Eventually, i started running. I felt my brain shut up for those few hours i spent running, i reached the next city and stopped to sit down at this random park. It just,, it felt so nice. I ran all the way over to the next city with nothing but my phone, earphones, and a bottle of water. The only way for me to get back home is to run back or call my dad to pick me up. I ran back. When I got home i felt so much better. Started going out to run once a week since then, found a usual spot for people who run, met nice people. Happiest I've ever been. Those sane and healthy f*****s were right.
Started walking (running hurts) for at least an hour every morning and I can confirm it is a great feeling
While humans have a tendency to be stubborn and hold fast to our opinions, it’s refreshing to read this list of examples that we are capable of being open-minded. Especially because we live in a world that is so unpredictable and constantly changing, we should be allowed to do the same as well. Be sure to upvote the responses that gave you reason to pause and think, then let us know in the comments something you’ve changed your mind about!
College education. I always thought it would benefit everyone to get one. These days, the benefits don’t _always_ outweigh the debts and many people in trades make very good money.
I would recommend to learn a trade. Electrician, carpenter, plumber... are all much more useful than most managers.
Empathy. I used to always want to give people the benefit of the doubt if it meant they were learning or working on themselves, because I know I’d want the same. Turns out some people will take your kindness and run with it, and you need to cut yourself off from people that do or you’re going to find yourself mentally or emotionally drained. Can’t pour from an empty cup and all that.
Saying the pledge of allegiance every day in school. We all grew up thinking it was normal. Until we had twitter and TikTok and could hear from people in other countries. This is not normal! No one else does this?!? except for militaristic, dictatorship style countries. It's an intentional method of training younger generations to do whatever their government asks because "patriotism" and "national pride". It's creepy and it's weird. And no country should ever get your blind allegiance.
Same with the national anthem at sports games it's done so often that it's not special anymore and somehow it became super political.
Load More Replies...Yup people need to have their own epiphanies. More often than not, no matter how logical and convincing your points are, most will simply brush them off as a "difference of opinion". Until that lightbulb moment.
And here we are at today's blocked-for-Android post. Always good to have Bored Panda remind us all how much they dislike visitors who use Android.
I have android, what is blocked? I read the whole article and I can see comments. Only thing 'blocked' are comments that are hidden due to many downvotes.
Load More Replies...I noted with interest that the majority of these are not about someone having researched a topic, but rather having encountered it in their own lives. It's hard to change your mind, especially hard to lose a prejudice, without personal influence of somebody close to the topic / belonging to the group.
When my son was just six weeks old, I went into his room to check on him before going to bed myself. He wasn't breathing, so I started screaming for my husband, and at the same time, picked up Son and tilted him head to toe, over and over, until he started breathing again. Husband wanted to shake him, but I knew not to do that, and the tilting worked safely and well. Scared the tar out of me that my newborn baby was so close to death. Husband didn't want him sleeping in our tiny bedroom (1976, tiny trailer house), so I slept in Baby's room for a few months until I "got it" that it was a one-off incident. He didn't suffer any kind of damage, thankfully, although he was killed in an accident just days before Thanksgiving when he was 31 (16 years ago). Still, I saved his life that night, and got to have him for nearly 32 years, so I would've done it again, knowing I wasn't 'shaking' him, just tilting him to get him breathing again.
GMOs. As a teenager I really hated GMOs, after starting to study food sciences in college I actually got educated on the different methods and reasons. Changed my stance a lot. There's still some modifications I find unnessecary or bad, but I'm far from thinking all are bad.
Can I just say that we as people have too much judgement and not enough emphathy? We look at things from the outside and just because we can't understand it, we judge it as wrong instead of not FOR me. Hindsight is 20/20 but recognizing that there are things beyond you and your understanding would greatly reduce the hate and anger people project over an opinion that can change by experiencing it. So, instead, we could just have a little bit of selflessness (or a whole lotta "mind your own business") and say "to each their own".
To this I would add Marvin Heemeyer, the "killdozer" guy. often portrayed as some sort of underdog antihero who got back at The Man without killing anybody, he was actually a bitter whackadoodle who had every intention of killing his perceived enemies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Heemeyer
Saying the pledge of allegiance every day in school. We all grew up thinking it was normal. Until we had twitter and TikTok and could hear from people in other countries. This is not normal! No one else does this?!? except for militaristic, dictatorship style countries. It's an intentional method of training younger generations to do whatever their government asks because "patriotism" and "national pride". It's creepy and it's weird. And no country should ever get your blind allegiance.
Same with the national anthem at sports games it's done so often that it's not special anymore and somehow it became super political.
Load More Replies...Yup people need to have their own epiphanies. More often than not, no matter how logical and convincing your points are, most will simply brush them off as a "difference of opinion". Until that lightbulb moment.
And here we are at today's blocked-for-Android post. Always good to have Bored Panda remind us all how much they dislike visitors who use Android.
I have android, what is blocked? I read the whole article and I can see comments. Only thing 'blocked' are comments that are hidden due to many downvotes.
Load More Replies...I noted with interest that the majority of these are not about someone having researched a topic, but rather having encountered it in their own lives. It's hard to change your mind, especially hard to lose a prejudice, without personal influence of somebody close to the topic / belonging to the group.
When my son was just six weeks old, I went into his room to check on him before going to bed myself. He wasn't breathing, so I started screaming for my husband, and at the same time, picked up Son and tilted him head to toe, over and over, until he started breathing again. Husband wanted to shake him, but I knew not to do that, and the tilting worked safely and well. Scared the tar out of me that my newborn baby was so close to death. Husband didn't want him sleeping in our tiny bedroom (1976, tiny trailer house), so I slept in Baby's room for a few months until I "got it" that it was a one-off incident. He didn't suffer any kind of damage, thankfully, although he was killed in an accident just days before Thanksgiving when he was 31 (16 years ago). Still, I saved his life that night, and got to have him for nearly 32 years, so I would've done it again, knowing I wasn't 'shaking' him, just tilting him to get him breathing again.
GMOs. As a teenager I really hated GMOs, after starting to study food sciences in college I actually got educated on the different methods and reasons. Changed my stance a lot. There's still some modifications I find unnessecary or bad, but I'm far from thinking all are bad.
Can I just say that we as people have too much judgement and not enough emphathy? We look at things from the outside and just because we can't understand it, we judge it as wrong instead of not FOR me. Hindsight is 20/20 but recognizing that there are things beyond you and your understanding would greatly reduce the hate and anger people project over an opinion that can change by experiencing it. So, instead, we could just have a little bit of selflessness (or a whole lotta "mind your own business") and say "to each their own".
To this I would add Marvin Heemeyer, the "killdozer" guy. often portrayed as some sort of underdog antihero who got back at The Man without killing anybody, he was actually a bitter whackadoodle who had every intention of killing his perceived enemies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Heemeyer