Here is a perfect example of needing to change an opinion when you get new information.

My husband and I were in the Nevada City area over the weekend, and on Highway 49 near the South Yuba River we drove past signs and a parking area for the Independence Trail. We'd seen bicycles on the highway, so I assumed the trail was for either hikers or cyclists. I was surprised to see handicap parking spaces for the trail! I asked my husband (rhetorically), "How stupid is that? If you're handicapped enough to need a handicap space, how are you going to walk or ride on the trail?" That was opinion #1.

Later in the day I was flipping through a Nevada County guide and came across an article about the trail. It turns out the "Independence" in the name refers to people with handicaps! A naturalist named John Olmstead had had the idea of building a trail with wheel chair access along the abandoned Excelsior Ditch because there was never more than a 15 percent drop in the ditch grade. There are now 4.5 miles of wheelchair-accessible trail through the canyon.

My opinion instantly changed to thinking it was a great idea and a worthy thing to do (opinion #2). I'm glad I didn't spout off in my blog or any other public place before I learned what the trail really is!

Of course, if I were to find out something negative about the trail, such as unjustified costs or complaints from people with handicaps or who knows what, I would form yet another opinion (#3, and so on).

Am I making too much of this concept? The reason I think it's worth talking about is some people seem to close their minds to new information once they have made a judgment about something. They scorn people who do change their minds on issues and call them flip floppers. They think inflexibility is a sign of strength. I think  it's the other way around.