Culturally, this is an era in which people are held in high esteem when they stick with their beliefs and are negatively labeled as “flip-floppers” or “wishy-washy” when they change what they think.
While the courage of convictions can be a plus in situations in which people are fighting for justice, sticking with beliefs in a dynamic world is shortsighted and dangerous. New evidence can and should be taken into account. Rapidly changing environments are uncomfortable for people because you can’t effectively use experience to guide choices about the future.
Consider the COVID-19 pandemic. All aspects of the pandemic response have evolved over time because knowledge of the disease, its prevention and treatment have changed significantly since the coronavirus made its appearance in early 2020.
The problem is many opponents of masking and vaccination made bold public pronouncements on social media, broadcasting positions like they’ll never get the COVID-19 shot. Once someone’s taken a strong stand like that, it can be hard to make a switch. As a psychology researcher who focuses on decision-making, I know there are powerful psychological and social forces that promote consistency of belief and action. Early commitments can be difficult to dislodge – though sometimes outside forces can help.
Doubling down, changing course