Changing my opinions definitely feels easier on some topics than others. I find it quite natural to update my views on things like film recommendations or travel destinations — they’re low stakes. But when it comes to values or beliefs I’ve held for years, the process feels much slower and more uncomfortable. I think that’s normal. Real change in perspective usually needs a meaningful experience or a genuinely compelling argument to get started.

For me, personal experience is by far the strongest influence. When I’ve actually lived through something — managing a project, dealing with a difficult situation at work — my view of it is much harder to shake than if I’d simply read about it. That said, I’ve noticed that trusted people in my life can gradually shift my thinking too, especially when their experience clearly differs from mine.

I think part of the reason is that we’re constantly surrounded by confident voices — on social media, in the news, in everyday conversation — that present opinions as settled truths. When something is repeated often enough and with enough certainty, it starts to feel factual. There’s also a deeper issue: distinguishing opinion from fact requires a certain amount of critical thinking, and that skill isn’t really something most people are taught systematically.