June 21
Changing a Public Opinion
It would be easier to change our mind if nobody remembered what we said. Unfortunately, we spoke firmly, perhaps more than once. New information now points elsewhere. We could quietly soften our position and hope nobody notices. We could also keep defending an argument that no longer persuades even us, simply because other people heard us make it.
Being teachable eventually becomes visible. The person who helped us reconsider may deserve acknowledgment, and the people who relied on our earlier opinion deserve to know it has changed. This need not become an elaborate confession. We learned something that mattered. Saying so gives others permission to reconsider without choosing sides around our pride. Concept V reminds us that a dissenting view sometimes corrects the majority. That protection becomes useful only when someone is willing to be corrected, including in the company of people who remember the original certainty.
What would make it easier for me to acknowledge a changed mind openly?
The earlier words do not have to decide the next ones.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Concepts for World Service, Concept V.