The Story
The Error of Dogmatism
What with the economy going into a recession, the war in Iraq either going â€"really well†or â€"horribly†(depending on who you ask) and the fact that Britney Spears has officially lost her marbles, many of my conversations this break were on the â€"state of the world.†Looking past the fact that it may or may not be pathetic that these aforementioned situations benchmark the state of the world to me and my cohorts (give us a break - we took a 10-hour road trip, we had to talk about SOMETHING), it was interesting to exhibit how angry people get when their opinions are challenged or excused as mere folly.
As a writer for an opinions column, one would probably presume that I have deeply held convictions that I (eloquently and coherently) fight for, either verbally or in the form of written communication. However, during these arguments, I realized something: what, exactly, is the use of holding a deeply held conviction? Don’t get me wrong; having principles is extremely important. Principles are what make us who we are. Our individual tapestry of principles comprises our very person and makes us unique. My focus was more on why we insist that, once we form an opinion or conviction, they cannot change.
Many people accuse certain politicians of â€"waffling†and â€"changing [his or her] mind†too often, as if this is a bad thing. This makes me extremely peeved. Of course, people are supposed to change their minds.
For instance (and humor me here), say you believe firmly that your sister is stealing your CDs from your room while you are away at school. The evidence is pretty stacked: you’re older, so you’ve introduced her to the kind of music you listen to (and she concurrently enjoys this music as well), you’ve found a few volumes in her room and her car before while you’re home on breaks, and she’s the only person in the house full-time who is in the 16-24 age bracket (read: the only person in the house with the same terrible music taste you have, and will also regret said musical taste in 10 years).
However, one weekend while you’re home and passed out in bed, you awake to a small noise on the other side of your room - it is your mother returning your Trick Daddy CD compilation. She tearfully and shamefully admits she is the culprit, the criminal CD stealer, the entire time, and just been too ashamed to admit her newfound love for â€"modern jams.â€
Now, you will obviously re-evaluate and recant your previously held belief that your little sister is a sneaky thief. She’s just young, naïve, etc. (Aren’t you glad you were never like that when you were her age?) This is what you’re supposed to do when given new information: reevaluate previously held beliefs. Your principles and morals don’t change; you still believe stealing is wrong. However, your belief attached to that principle has changed.
It boggles my mind that people can continue holding onto their beliefs only because that’s what they’ve â€"always thought.†Despite evidence to the contrary or even just new evidence, changing a belief or opinion is just not an option to some people. Holding on to an old belief shows â€"consistency†and â€"intelligence!†I used to be impressed when I met people who had firmly held beliefs and stuck to these beliefs no matter what. Now, I just see them as narrow-minded and unintelligent.
In this changing world, where the â€"state of things†fluctuates every day, its best to keep and open mind, and soak up all the information you can. Stick to your principles, but re-evaluate as you learn more. To change an opinion isn’t â€"waffling†or showing a lack of consistency, it’s the intelligent and enlightened approach to a world that’s becoming more and more confusing. After all, half a decade ago, Britney was still the teen-pop princess at the top of the charts. Now, you’d be a troglodyte if you believed that. I think that’s something we can all agree upon.
Khaleelah Jones is a staff columnist for The DSJ. Her views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.