• Walican132@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    143
    ·
    5 days ago

    The smartest people in the room are those who are willing to admit a mistake, or that their opinions have changed.

    • Fluke@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      4 days ago

      That explains why selling “sticking to your principles” and “tradition” go so easily for politicians.

      Most people are thick as a pail of pigshit.

    • ZoopZeZoop@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      36
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 days ago

      The wisest people in the room will be able to do that, but I don’t think you have to have had different/the wrong opinion to have that status. The wisest people listen, consider, and use all available information to make the best possible decisions.

    • frostysauce@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 days ago

      Reminds me of an anecdote about Robert Kennedy Sr. He was approached by a reporter on the campaign trail that asked him his stance on capital punishment.

      “I’m against it,” Kennedy told the reporter.

      “When you were at the Justice Department, that wasn’t your position.”

      Kennedy replied, “That was before I read Camus.”

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        4 days ago

        Our media now rails on politicians “flip flopping” if their opinion is different than it was in the past. I always get angry when I hear them say that because, to me, it’s a good thing. I want someone who has new experiences and changes their opinions with that. I don’t want someone who learns something and dismisses any information they gained because it doesn’t match their current beliefs.

        • blackbelt352@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 days ago

          Personally I believe flip flopping and changing your mind are 2 very different things, flip flopping is making an appearance of change in response to social pressures, ie “I need to appeal to this specific group of voters” or “I’m suffering backlash for something I said” where as changing your mind is “I’ve learned something I didn’t know before and I am changing as a result”

          • Cethin@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            4 days ago

            The media uses the term for any change of opinion. For example, I think I recall hearing some media saying Biden “flip flopped” from the position he held on crime 20+ years ago since he realized it wasn’t effective.

            What the term should mean is you changing your opinion flippantly, whenever it’s useful. It shouldn’t be when you adjust your stance on a topic (for any reason) to a new one. It’s when you go back and forth and aren’t consistent with a new position.