‘What’s a belief you held strongly for years that you now completely disagree with?’ – 21 people who completely changed their minds

As human beings, we are able to change our minds, but it tends to be very hard to do. However, whether it’s through persuasion, experience or simply turning into grumpy old people, sometimes we do end up doing a complete 180 on things we’ve previously passionately believed to be right or true. Over on the AskReddit page, user Loose-Writer7318 asked:

What’s a belief you held strongly for years that you now completely disagree with?

And people who had completed a psychological u-turn jumped in with their examples.

1.

‘I really thought loving someone was enough. Turns out, you can’t love someone enough to make them good for you.’
–Rahallahan

2.

‘Bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people. So much of life is luck. I no longer judge people based on their circumstances.’
–PizzicatoAG

3.

‘That what I put in the recycle bin actually got recycled, and the belief that I was actually helping the planet by doing so.’
–Infinite-Pepper9120

4.

‘I really thought we would unite against a common enemy. Lol.’
–OjamaPajama

5.

‘That people would make reasonable and sensible choices based on the greater good if they understood the importance. It took me a long time to realise that it is only about self-interest and greed.’
–mwjane

6.

‘I used to be Mormon. I’m not now.’
–astralboy15

7.

‘I used to think that people in government knew what they were doing, or at least were smart enough to work it out in a professional manner. I could never have even guessed that a literal moron could get to be president.’
–kerguell

8.

‘Cats should be able to roam freely. I whole heartedly believed this and thought having indoor cats is so cruel. It wasn’t until my cat got FIV (the human equivalent to HIV) that I realised how dangerous it is for cats to have free roam outside. Not even just diseases either, they could get hurt by cars, people, other animals, get stuck, kill wildlife etc. It is so much safer for all animals to keep your cat indoors.’
–xXitsdarkinhereXx

9.

‘That success is all about hard work. Turns out, timing, luck, and connections often play a much bigger role than we like to admit.’
–AuthorNicoSterling

10.

”Being an adult is so great’. And then I discovered taxes, work, children, lack of time, responsibilities! I sometimes miss being a well-fed, housed teenager with only friends and school to worry about.’
–Scampi-tortuga

11.

‘It’s worth it to be kind to everyone, even those who are unkind to you. Now I know I shouldn’t waste my time on those who are unkind to me.’
–twenty_lerty