all i need is some reasons

When was the last time you heard something that made you change your mind on a particular topic?

Maybe it was after coming across a new fact, or hearing a cogent argument that gave you new insight, or maybe just your own reconsideration of what you know. Or maybe you don’t seek new information or points of view, but affirmation of what you already believe.

That was the gist of a discussion on a recent NPR Saturday morning show. Unfortunately, I only caught part of the show while driving, and can’t recall the show or host (lost in the blur of the daughter’s wedding day), but the basic premise has stuck with me, and I’ve been thinking about how I come to beliefs and opinions.

Perhaps because I’m an independent (lower-case i) and have views that could be called conservative on some issues and liberal on others, I tend to seek out new ideas and facts, many of which end up challenging my views. I always appreciate a smart argument with strong and honest facts. In this it helps to not be tied to any ideology.

Or, as I say of political talking heads on radio and TV, whether conservative or liberal: I’d hate to wake up every day knowing already what I think before the question has been asked.

Or as James Young has said (with tongue firmly in cheek): “Now that my mind is made up, all I need are some reasons.”

-- Don Chapman, Midweek, 8/22/12

5 things

really smart people do.


Most people don't really think much about how they learn. Generally you assume learning comes naturally. You listen to someone speak either in conversation or in a lecture and you simply absorb what they are saying, right? Not really. In fact, I find as I get older that real learning takes more work. The more I fill my brain with facts, figures, and experience, the less room I have for new ideas and new thoughts. Plus, now I have all sorts of opinions that may refute the ideas being pushed at me. Like many people I consider myself a lifelong learner, but more and more I have to work hard to stay open minded.

But the need for learning never ends, so your desire to do so should always outweigh your desire to be right. The world is changing and new ideas pop up everyday; incorporating them into your life will keep you engaged and relevant. The following are the methods I use to stay open and impressionable.