How often do facts change your mind?

Often. My ideas and thoughts and opinions are not sacred. I lose nothing by altering them when presented with conflicting facts.

I’m NOT above changing my mind!!! Still, you’d need to give me some verifiable facts. Just because somebody throws out what appears to be facts, that doesn’t mean an instant change of heart!!! I’ve ALWAYS chosen to do my own research & now that I have access to more easily verifiable info, I definitely check out what I hear!!! IF the facts check out, I have been known to lean toward my new knowledge!!! I’ve also learned in my lifetime that facts aren’t always facts!!!

Not often at all, I would say almost never.
Then again, on second thought, pretty often

^^ HaHaHaHa or is that NaNaNaNa???

If it’s something related to an event, all the time. If it’s more “worldview” oriented, I have to admit—not that often anymore. When I was younger, I voraciously read on alot of topics and my view of things changed frequently. But over time, I’ve kind of heard all the arguments on most common issues. So when some ‘new study’ comes out…I’ve been around long enough to know how easily study design can change outcomes…and I’ve looked into enough studies to find that the design in fact made the outcome inevitable. I’ve seen it so often that I don’t look into them as much as I used to because it’s like watching the same movie over and over again.

Now, for specific events, I deliberately keep an open mind as much as I can when something is a still evolving news story. I’ve found over the years that our “journalists” (scare quotes intentional) aren’t very good at their jobs anymore. The need to be first is stronger than the need to be accurate in modern media. So when a news story comes out…sure, I form an initial guess, but I try very hard to avoid setting myself in concrete with confirmation bias and I try to come back later, after the story has had time to mature, and catch up on it when the facts are more established and less sensational.

I think it depends on my priors. If the opinion was based on a lot of strong evidence, it would take a lot of strong evidence to change it. If it was based on just a hunch, I would change it pretty easily.

Facts have to be proven, or at least substantiated by more than just one person saying something. And the ‘fact’ has to be from a reputable source. (I wouldn’t go looking for facts to be proven by consulting the Republican Party’s web site).

Having said that, yes – if I’m wrong, I’ll change my mind. But the key is being convinced by facts, not the loudest voice.

I guess if it is a true fact, it could change my mind every time. Unfortunately, in the USA these days, facts are not always facts. They are opinions or stories that are being passed as fact. I remember when it was a fact that Donald Trump colluded with Russia. Hell, that one took a couple years to finally be put to rest. I remember when he said Neo-Nazis and White Supermacists are “very fine people”. There are still those that believe that…many on these pages in fact…even though I have repeatedly posted the entire discussion showing where he denounced them specifically indicating he was NOT talking about them.

My mind looks for logic and reason. When there are questions, I ask them. When presented with facts, I am generally content.

Facts are valuable only inasmuch as they point towards the truth.

Probably 75–80% of the time. I am known to be skeptical about “facts” so it matters specifically what we are talking about and how the facts were derived.

Take the covid vaccine. Go back to what I said when they were first coming out. I said I didn’t feel secure about the 95% efficacy that was being promoted. I didn’t feel it could be accurate, because most of the testing locations had low covid cases in the community. Other jellies told me mathematically why I was wrong. I’m pretty sure I was proven right at this point. Even at the time, scientists were saying J&J at least partly had a lower efficacy because it was tested in places that had high rates of covid, which agreed with what I was saying about the math regarding Moderna and Pfizer. I was dismissed and ignored and so was the statement by scientists about J&J.

So, was I ignoring facts about the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine at the time?

Facts are Trump lost the 2020 election and MAGA followers are sending $50 to $500 a month to “Stop the Steal” and 91 percent of the money is spent on overhead and expenses.

I wonder how many cheeseburgers and diet cokes that is ? ? ?

^^It’s mind boggling.

I can’t answer how often, but I can say how readily.

I’m pretty open to changing my mind, but the newly introduced facts still have to stand up to questioning. I’m not about to jump from wrong to wrong if I can help it. Many factual statements—statements that have the form of a fact—turn out to be false. Anything that evades examination is deeply suspect.

I’m in favor of the truth, whether pleasant or not, although sometimes I do need to brace myself with a little therapeutic denial first.

I always find myself double checking my views. The longer they are held, the harder they are to change, even when their inaccuracy has been shown.

I’ve no idea. I’ve never had my opinions run counter to facts.

It depends on if it’s facts or “facts.” There is a lot of bad or misleading information out there that people use to form their opinions on. People do things like cherry pick a singular study on something and bring that to a debate and if you find a meta analysis on the subject it’s contrary to what is presented. Some things take time for proper evidence to build and a type of accepted consensus to form. Global warming is one example. It started political and remained so for decades. Over time, there is enough solid evidence that most will say they believe it to varying degrees now. A little more than a decade ago I questioned it. Not so much now. Things that are contentious to people often are not black and white. Even when they are, you still have flat earthers.

Depends. Political manly no. other things, sometimes. I thought Fortnite was bad. Over a year later, I’m anxiously trying to win. It all depends.

Afterthought: When I do greet newly introduced facts with questioning, others tend to think I’m showing resistance or defensiveness. Does it make sense that people who are promoting their rational understanding of something should criticize a rational response?

An uncomfortable fact is that many of the notions I’ve had to correct over time had their origins in early teachings at home, in school, and in church. What is a person like who has always been told the truth? Is there any such person?

The one thing that I’ve noticed with ALL the answers to this thread. Much like one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In this case…one jelly’s fact is another jelly’s SPAM. We’re ALL looking for “facts” but it appears that “facts” NO longer exist…ONLY somebody else opinion!!!

Good grief.

Facts are facts, but we use a conglomeration of facts to explain the world. Many things are not 100%, especially when dealing with people. Each individual is different, but generally humans are the same. So, for instance, medical facts will have a percentage that don’t fit the rule.

Then there are facts like JLeslie was on flight 522 at 2:05pm EDT. There is no wiggle there, it’s just a fact. Like people going to the Capitol building, walking past the barriers, walking into the Capitol, breaking windows to get into the Capitol Building, using weapons to violently attack people. People witnessing the violence and still following those violent people into the Capitol Building. If it’s on video, how can it not be a fact? Yet, some people seem to not believe it. I guess they just haven’t seen it.

^^ That’s where my feeling of NO facts came from. Put 10 people in a room to watch the same video, you’ll come out with 12 different “facts” depending on their opinion & what they feel comfortable seeing!!! Give them an alternative reality explanation & you might get 15.

The longer I live, the more I feel like nothing I believe is permanent. Things change and develop everyday, and I have to grow and adapt accordingly. I have learned to not attach myself to any ideas and to be willing to change if necessary.

The only thing that is constant is my integrity. The reason why I change and grow is for the betterment of myself and everyone else.

@LadyMarissa Being ignorant of the facts, ignoring facts, and twisting the facts to fit someone’s pre-existing beliefs doesn’t mean the facts don’t exist. The facts are still the facts. Not acknowledging them or not remembering them is cognitive biases.

@JLeslie I agree, but WHO gets to determine what are the REAL facts & what is cognitive biases??? You feel that you know the factss after watching the video, yet my BFF swears that you are the one being biased.

I know there is a happy medium in there somewhere; but at the end of each day, I feel as though I’m beating my head against a brick wall until my brain bleeds!!! I’m NOT ready to throw in the towel; however, I sure am getting tired of the headache!!!

2 plus 2 is 4 !

COGNITIVE BIAS IS INFINITY !

@LadyMarissa You both watch the same exact video clip of Jan 6th and what does she see that is different than you? She ignores what is in front of her eyes. That doesn’t change the actual facts.

Rusty Bowers shows the document that he was being pressured to allow the legislature to overturn the vote in Arizona. That’s simply a fact.

The far right of the Republican Party is a machine right now trying to do away with elections. I’m not accusing all Republicans of doing it or wanting it, but they are going along by ignoring the facts and by ostracizing Republicans who are willing to speak out against it.

It’s a cult.

All the time? Opinions are rarely black and white. Every new thing you learn shifts your perspective.