It’s been documented that facts don’t change people’s minds. The mental habit of seeking to pressure-test or challenge one’s own views for the sake of truth-seeking is increasingly scarce. To change positions in the face of new evidence is now indicative of a weak moral backbone.

I posit the opposite is true. John Maynard Keynes said it best: “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”

It appears to me that the Socratic dialogue is also broken. One-on-one conversations about politics rarely persuade —especially today when the internet can feed you with evidence that supports any position you want. I think the best one can aim is to:

1. Let the other person see that you are a human being with human concerns
2. Not hope for much and move on

Regardless of our own convictions and principles, intellectual humility and curiosity are principles worth upholding. To be the change you want to see in others.