BECAUSE WE CHANGE OUR MINDS!!!

BECAUSE WE CHANGE OUR MINDS!!! “We have always believed that changing our minds is an improvement, bringing greater authenticity to our relationships with the world and with other people. It puts an end to vacillation, uncertainty, and weakness of spirit. It seems to make us stronger and more mature. Is that right?” (Julian Barnes) There are times when we are faced with a question that for many, or almost everyone, is somewhat disconcerting: do we change our minds for rational reasons, because the facts change, or for emotional reasons? Or is it, as Julian Barnes said, “because certain areas of facts and feelings that were previously unknown to us have suddenly become clear; or is it because the emotional landscape has altered”? As Keynes said in his Keynesian thesis: “When facts change, we change our minds!” But to support an opposing view, Barnes resorts to humor and quotes Francis Picabia: “Our heads are round so that our ideas can change direction.” I would say there are options for everyone! Contrary to what some who take the time to read this far might think, I will not, of course, enter into or begin a so-called philosophical debate, especially because I feel I lack the competence to do so. However, I cannot resist, with some recklessness, attempting a reflection on other fronts. The "gesture" of changing one's mind, whether through reason, emotion, or a combination of the two, or even through some particular synthesis of reason and emotion, possesses an intimate and even political duality, as it reflects the individual's capacity to process information and feel, while also highlighting the individual's interaction within the collective and the social and political context that surrounds them. It is a process that involves both introspection and expression, which makes it a deeply personal and, at the same time, inherently public phenomenon. It is an act of self-awareness, where the individual recognizes their own feelings and the impact they have on their perspectives and decisions, which makes it a deeply personal and, at the same time, inherently public phenomenon. It becomes clear that, for us to be able to change our minds, we must (it should be redundant to say) be exposed to ideas and views different from our own! In the words of Blaise Pascal: "I am not ashamed to change my mind, because I am not ashamed to think." I want to remind those who haven't yet considered this that changing our minds always begins as a painful exercise, which presupposes that each of us has the humility and persistence necessary to accept the inevitable discomfort that always arises from confronting contradictions and shaking our most secure certainties. The famous phrase: "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" was written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall to summarize Voltaire's thinking on freedom of expression. It is a phrase that expresses the uncompromising defense of people's right to express their opinions, even if they contradict our own. “Change is the law of life. And those who only look to the past or the present will surely miss the future.” (John Kennedy)