GROWTH
Time to THINK AGAIN?
An open mind and the willingness to re-evaluate your beliefs shows strength of character, not flawed or flimsy thinking, as Emma Cooling discovers…
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES
Expert advice
Julia Galef is co-founder of the Center for Applied Rationality and author of The Scout Mindset (Little, Brown, £14.99). juliagalef.com
Jeffrey Nevid is a professor of psychology at St John’s University, New York, and author The Minute Therapist blog
Gray Webber is a therapist and coach, specialising in working with the body to create a proactive and positive mindset. graywebber.com
My mind tends to flit around untethered by firm convictions, so I’ve often found myself envying those people who seem so sure of their opinions. In my role as a journalist, being open-minded has been a useful trait, helping me to see both sides of the story and to present a more rounded viewpoint than if I took a stubborn, opinionated stance on one side of the issue. But, outside of work, my tendency to sympathise with both sides and change my viewpoint has often felt like a weakness of character.
After all, from Brexit to Covid, the last decade has churned out a succession of issues on which we’ve been encouraged to ally ourselves with one camp or another. But no sooner have I formed a view on something, than I’ve heard another perspective and started doubting my previous convictions – and myself.