Conventional thinking: I must stick to my convictions even if someone makes a convincing argument that I am wrong.  If I give in I will show weakness and people will not respect me.

Contrarian thinking:  You have the right to change your mind.  Showing that you are willing to listen to others and admitting that you may be wrong shows intelligence, flexibility and respect for other’s ideas.  This in turn will result in respect for your own ideas.

When you get into a heated argument with someone it is very difficult to back out.  If you develop an emotional commitment to your argument you are unlikely to admit that you may be wrong, even if there is a hint of truth to what the other person is saying.  Be careful not to fall into the trap of going down a path in your argument where there is no backing out.

Always show others that you are willing to listen to them, and if they make valid points in their argument acknowledge them without qualifying them with a “but” rebuttal.  Let them know that you are open to be convinced that their argument is valid and they will be more open with you and more willing to even discuss weaknesses in the their own arguments.

You don’t always have to be right.  In fact, acknowledging that sometimes you are wrong will increase your credibility with others.  They will know that when you stick to your guns and do not give in on an argument it is because you have done your homework and have an in depth knowledge of the subject.

Changing your mind prevents you from going down the wrong path when you find out half way through the journey that the direction that you were taking was not leading you to where you wanted to go.  Being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn is stupid and ineffective. 

This is not to say that you shouldn’t have any convictions.  Being wishy-washy is not effective either.  There are times when you need to stick to you guns, but you must be brutally honest with yourself.  You must be sure you are doing it because you have done your homework and you know you are right.

If you feel you have done enough research, or have the experience, or even if you just have a gut feeling that you are right about something then stay with your conviction.  Your gut feeling is sometimes your subconscious mind telling you what you have learned through years of experience.  But if you are not sure, there is nothing wrong with changing your mind.

If changing your mind will get you closer to where you want to go, do not hesitate for a minute.  Just do it.

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