Can People Change and Do Attitudes Change?
Humans have an incredible ability to grow, change, and adapt. But can people really change their attitudes, or do they stay the same throughout their lives? We know we can change because we see it happening to our environment every day. It turns out that our attitudes can change about some things and some things can’t. Let’s look into why.
How do attitudes change?
You can’t just “exit” one setting and “enter” another. This idea allows us to think of our settings as computer programs. But we know that settings are not just what we have inside. They are expressed in what we do, how we look, and how we interact with the world. Let’s say you see a man in the street wearing a Black Panther T-shirt. You might think, “Oh, he must be a Black Panther.” If you see the same person again, and this time he’s wearing the same t-shirt, you might think, “He really likes the Black Panthers.” If you see him wearing the same t-shirt again, but in a different place, you might think, “He’s definitely a Black Panther fan. Attitudes don’t change by themselves. It changes when it’s expressed in different ways.
When people can change their attitude and when they can’t.
We can change our attitudes if they are based on something we don’t know enough about. For example, if you are a racist, you can change your attitude by learning more about other cultures and meeting more people of different races. If you are sexist, you can change your attitude by talking about gender equality and discussing it with other people. But what if you are racist or sexist and don’t want to change your attitude? If your attitude is based on something you know quite a bit about, you can’t just change it.
Why Some People Can’t Change Their Attitudes
It turns out that when people are confronted with evidence against what they believe, their attitude is based not on what they do not know enough, but on a way of knowing, which is to be confident and defensive about another opinion. Studies show that this is how people with very strong views often feel. They are not completely open to new information, other experiences, or other points of view. What they have learned on their own is enough for them. They have a very strong sense of confidence.
Can our attitudes change from negative to positive?
When people feel very strongly about something, it usually takes more than just talking to get them to change their minds. It takes time, patience, and a lot of effort. However, if you can start to change their attitudes little by little, you can help them become more open-minded about the issue. You can try to keep an open mind by allowing them to express their views and by listening carefully to what they have to say when talking to them about this issue. You can try to do this in a non-judgmental way, so that the person feels safe talking to you and doesn’t get the feeling that you are trying to change their views.
Can our attitudes change from positive to negative?
If someone has a very positive attitude toward something, they have probably spent enough time learning about it. This means that they probably have a good reason for doing so. However, if you start presenting them with evidence against their way of thinking, they may start to change their attitude. The more you can show them that their positive attitude is not necessarily the right one, the more likely they will change their minds.
We can change our attitudes, but it takes patience and effort. It takes time and resources to become open to new information, new experiences, and new perspectives. It’s not something that can happen overnight. Also, if you are trying to change someone’s attitude, it is best to do so without judgment and in a way that makes the person feel safe.
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