I recently chatted with a friend who had a very strong opinion about something. I respected his perspective, but I knew a material fact that weakened his argument. Unsure whether he knew the fact, I shared it with him. I wasn’t sure how he’d respond, since he’d expressed himself so passionately. To my surprise, he acknowledged that he didn’t know this fact and said he wanted to rethink his position and get back to me. His response reminded me why we’re friends: he’s an open-minded person who seeks the truth.

Some people view changing your position as weakness. I disagree. New information can warrant reevaluation. If you change your mind given new facts, that’s not a sign of lack of conviction. It’s a sign of rational thinking and decision-making.