People can be so stubborn. There isn’t a single soul who has never stood up for anything, even if it was the apparent injustice of your mother not giving you another cookie when you were two.
As bad as it can be, stubbornness can be turned into something very beneficial. It takes determination in life make a difference. This is something that many can agree with. That said, there is a flipside to that where many people start turning up their noses.
In short…it’s okay to change your mind. Say you told your friends that you’d try this new drug this weekend. You promised them that you would because they said it was harmless and legal. But…after a little research, you found out that it was both illegal and altered your consciousness. Do you follow through just because you told yourself you would?
Or better yet, say you go ahead and try the drug. You even do it ever single weekend for months. You argue with others as to how great it is and how it isn’t hurting you. You tell them they should try it to. Of course, they won’t, which somehow angers you because they are “looking down on you” in your mind. Whether they do or don’t isn’t the point. The point is…even after standing your ground, defending the drug, it’s okay to change your mind, stop taking it, and speak out against it. Or is it better to slowly kill yourself just because you already chose a side and you should stick to it? Instead of scorning those who still do the drug, wouldn’t it be better to tell everyone that you used to do it and that you made the choice to simply…change your opinion?
Now, you probably don’t do drugs, but there is likely something nagging at you that you can’t ignore. There is an opinion (political, spiritual, or even medical) that you have tried so hard to fight for, that you truly don’t believe is right. You may have read a scientific paper that had the power to prove you wrong or you may have just felt it in your own selfless heart. Well, you know what? Changing your mind doesn’t show weakness, it shows strength. Because changing is always harder than starting the same and fighting the same useless battles over and over again.
This happens with lovers all of the time. You try to convince your family and friends what an amazing person this new man or woman is. You even believe it too. But once they start showing signs that they aren’t who you thought, it’s hard to back down. You fought so hard for them and you’re just going to throw it all away? Yes! Because in the end, you’re better off living with the truth then a false hope that maybe you’re right…even though you know…you were wrong.
So I challenge you to not admit defeat, but admit your success! Let people know that, hey, you were wrong. That is one of the hardest phrases in the human language, “I was wrong.” And that again shows strength, not weakness. If you have the strength to stop arguing for the sake of arguing a point just because you started to once, then you’re already stronger than the majority of the population.
“Remember, don’t sink to someone else’s level, but don’t just “rise above” either. Instead, try building others up!”
Emily Medlock - xJGirlx 