Somewhere along the way, we turned “changing your mind” into a weakness.
Like it means you didn’t know enough.
Like you got “caught.”
Like you lost.
But the older I get, the more I’m convinced it’s the exact opposite.
The willingness to change your mind might be one of the clearest signs of intelligence there is.
Not the loud kind of intelligence that wins arguments.
Not the performative kind that drops facts like mic drops.
But the quiet, sturdy kind that can hold a belief with open hands instead of clenched fists.
Because here’s the truth: the smartest people I know don’t treat their opinions like permanent tattoos. They treat them like software.
They update.
And they don’t update because they’re confused.
They update because they’re paying attention.
They listen.
They learn.
They notice when reality is trying to teach them something new.
And instead of fighting it, they adjust.
That’s rare. And it’s impressive.
Most of us don’t struggle with information. We struggle with identity.
We don’t just believe something…
We become someone who believes it.
So when new information shows up, it doesn’t feel like a new data point.
It feels like a threat.
To our ego.
To our reputation.
To the version of ourselves we’ve been defending.
And that’s where people get stuck.
Not because they don’t have access to the truth…
But because the cost of changing their mind feels too high.
It takes humility to say, “I didn’t see it that way before.”
It takes courage to admit, “I might have been wrong.”
It takes maturity to say, “I’m learning.”
And let’s be honest… those sentences don’t always come naturally.
Because we live in a world that rewards certainty.
The person who speaks the fastest sounds the smartest.
The person who sounds the most confident gets the most attention.
The person who never hesitates looks like they have it all figured out.
But certainty isn’t always wisdom.
Sometimes certainty is just fear dressed up as confidence.
Fear of being judged.
Fear of looking inconsistent.
Fear of losing credibility.
But what if credibility isn’t built by never changing your mind?
What if credibility is built by changing it for the right reasons?
Because there’s a big difference between being easily influenced and being genuinely open-minded.
One is drifting.
The other is evolving.
And the difference is the filter: new information.
The best minds don’t change their minds because someone shouted louder.
They change their minds because the evidence got clearer.
They don’t treat life like a courtroom where they have to win every case.
They treat it like a lab where they’re trying to get the results right.
That’s a completely different posture.
It’s not about defending a position.
It’s about discovering what’s true.
And that’s the part I love: the goal isn’t to be right.
The goal is to find the truth.
Even if the truth is inconvenient.
Even if it bruises your ego.
Even if it forces you to rebuild your opinion from scratch.
That’s not weakness.
That’s strength.
It’s the strength to detach your worth from your correctness.
To separate “I was wrong” from “I am wrong.”
To realize that changing your mind doesn’t mean you failed…
It means you grew.
And honestly, the people who never change their minds aren’t “strong-minded.”
They’re often just stuck.
They’ve confused consistency with character.
But character isn’t stubbornness.
Character is integrity.
And integrity means you follow what’s true, even when it’s uncomfortable.
That’s why I love the idea of a “software update.”
Because a good update doesn’t erase everything.
It improves what’s already there.
It patches what’s broken.
It strengthens security.
It removes bugs you didn’t know existed.
It makes the system run better.
And yes, sometimes it changes the interface.
Sometimes it forces you to learn a new way.
Sometimes it’s inconvenient for a day.
But long-term, it’s better.
That’s how growth works too.
You don’t wake up one day with perfect beliefs and flawless opinions.
You build them.
You refine them.
You replace what no longer fits.
You let life teach you.
And if you’re honest, some of your best breakthroughs came right after a mindset shift you didn’t want to make.
Maybe you had to change your mind about a person you misjudged.
Or a habit you thought you needed.
Or a goal you chased for the wrong reasons.
Or a version of success that looked good on the outside but felt empty on the inside.
Those moments can feel like losing something.
But you’re not losing.
You’re upgrading.
And the upgrade is rarely instant.
It’s usually a process.
You hear something new.
You resist it.
You think about it.
You wrestle with it.
You revisit it.
And slowly, your mind starts to make room for what’s true.
That’s not being indecisive.
That’s being alive.
That’s being teachable.
And teachable people are dangerous in the best way.
Because they keep getting better.
They keep expanding.
They keep sharpening their understanding.
They don’t cling to yesterday’s version of themselves just to look consistent.
They’d rather be accurate than impressive.
They’d rather be wise than loud.
They’d rather get closer to the truth than win a debate.
And in a world that’s obsessed with being right, that kind of person stands out.
So here’s the question I’ve been asking myself lately:
When was the last time I changed my mind… and thanked life for it?
Not because I was embarrassed.
Not because I had to.
But because I realized something important.
Because maybe the real flex isn’t having all the answers.
Maybe the real flex is being the kind of person who can say:
“I used to think that… but now I see it differently.”
That sentence is a sign of intelligence.
It’s also a sign of peace.
Because it means you’re not trapped inside your own pride.
You’re free to grow.
Free to learn.
Free to update.
And if that’s the direction you’re moving in, you’re doing something right.
Not because you’re always correct…
But because you’re committed to the truth.
And that, to me, is the smartest upgrade anyone can make.
Kenrick Vaz 