{"id":46546,"date":"2026-01-14T02:56:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T02:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?p=46546"},"modified":"2026-01-14T16:39:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T16:39:03","slug":"the-future-belongs-to-people-who-can-change-their-minds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2026\/01\/14\/the-future-belongs-to-people-who-can-change-their-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future Belongs to People Who Can Change Their Minds"},"content":{"rendered":"

The power of flexible thinking\u2014and how to practice it daily<\/span><\/h3>\n

We rarely find solutions by winning an argument. It comes from finding the thin strip of common ground where people with different beliefs decide to work together anyway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We saw this firsthand in our<\/span> Citizen Solutions session<\/span><\/a> in Austin, Texas. Participants came from very different backgrounds and carried very different political instincts into the room. They were brought together for a panel to address the state’s healthcare crisis, including the uninsured rate, which is the highest in the country, and how to turn their ideas into practical solutions. <\/span><\/p>\n

At first, the differences felt like barriers. But once people chose to be flexible thinkers instead of fixed defenders of their side, something shifted. They moved from debating ideology to developing innovative ideas, including expanding telehealth services, addressing healthcare deserts in rural areas, and reducing the burden of medical debt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI decided to agree with most of the initiatives and even some that go against my Libertarian beliefs,\u201d said one of the participants, Jay Shoesmith, a salesperson from Longview, Texas. \u201cI justify this because we can\u2019t just leave a good portion of Texans without affordable and accessible healthcare.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s what solving problems looks like in real life. Not perfect consensus. But people willing to change their minds enough to move forward together.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What flexible thinking is<\/b><\/h3>\n

Flexible thinking is the ability to update your beliefs when new information appears. It means holding opinions with confidence, but not with rigidity. Instead of seeing change as a threat, flexible thinkers treat it as a learning opportunity<\/span><\/p>\n

Psychologists often describe this as <\/span>cognitive flexibility<\/span><\/a>: the capacity to shift perspectives, adapt to new rules, and revise assumptions. The American Psychological Association defines it as a key part of healthy problem-solving and emotional resilience.<\/span><\/p>\n

This does not mean being indecisive or abandoning values. It means distinguishing between <\/span>principles<\/b> and <\/span>positions<\/b>. Principles\u2014like fairness, safety, or freedom\u2014tend to endure. Positions\u2014the policies or strategies we use to express those values\u2014sometimes need revision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carol Dweck\u2019s research on the <\/span>growth mindset<\/b><\/a> captures this idea well: people who believe they can learn and adjust outperform those who believe ability and understanding are fixed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Flexible thinking, at its core, is intellectual humility paired with curiosity. It is the discipline of saying, \u201cI might be wrong\u2014and that\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to practice flexible thinking in daily life<\/b><\/h3>\n

Flexible thinking is not a personality trait. It is a habit. And like any habit, it can be trained. Here are some ways you can do just that.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Separate identity from opinion.
    \n<\/b>In his book,<\/span> Ego Is the Enemy<\/span><\/i>, Movement Partner Ryan Holliday argues that a desire to always be right is a manifestation of an unchecked ego, which prioritizes validation over truth, learning, and progress. Instead of thinking, \u201cIf I change my mind, I lose,\u201d try, \u201cIf I learn something new, I grow.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Replace reflex with reflection.
    \n<\/b>When you feel defensive, pause and ask: <\/span>What new information is challenging me right now?<\/span><\/i>
    \n<\/span><\/i>In meetings, this might mean listening fully before responding. In family arguments, it might mean asking, \u201cWhat\u2019s your experience been?\u201d instead of immediately countering.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Practice \u201csteel-manning.\u201d
    \n<\/b>Try summarizing the best version of a viewpoint you disagree with before stating your own. This technique is often referred to as <\/span>    steel-manning<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>and it\u2019s the conceptual opposite of strawmanning. Steel-manning forces you to understand the strongest version of an opposing view, which leads to smarter thinking, fairer conversations, and decisions based on clarity rather than caricatures.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Build a diverse information diet.
    \n<\/b>Pew Research finds that people who <\/span>    consume varied news sources<\/span><\/a> are less likely to fall into ideological certainty traps. Read outside your lane. Follow people you respect who disagree with you. Treat difference as data.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Normalize changing your mind publicly.
    \n<\/b>Leaders who say, \u201cHere\u2019s what I believed\u2014here\u2019s what I learned\u2014here\u2019s why I changed,\u201d build trust, not weakness. Transparency increases credibility.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Spend time with people who don\u2019t think like you.
    \n<\/b>Ideas can be debated. Experiences are harder to dismiss. When you build real relationships across differences, issues stop being abstract and start being human. That shift often does more to open minds than any argument ever could.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Flexible thinking is no longer optional. It is the operating system for a world that will not slow down.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The people who thrive in the future will not be the loudest or the most certain. They will be the ones who learn the fastest, adapt thoughtfully, and stay humble enough to evolve.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Changing your mind is not an admission of defeat. It is progress in motion.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u2014Alex Buscemi (abuscemi@buildersmovement.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n

    Art by Matthew Lewis<\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \n

     <\/p>\n

    Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change<\/b>
    \n<\/span><\/h3>\n

    In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \ud83d\udc49 <\/span>Support the Builders Movement<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The power of flexible thinking\u2014and how to practice it daily We rarely find solutions by winning an argument. It comes from finding the thin strip of common ground where people with different beliefs decide to work together anyway.\u00a0 We saw this firsthand in our Citizen Solutions session in Austin, Texas. Participants came from very different…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":46547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"collection_feed":[80],"type_feed":[77],"class_list":["post-46546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Future Belongs to People Who Can Change Their Minds - Builders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Progress belongs to people who can change their minds. 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