All rights reserved by the author
16 October 2026

There is a particular kind of courage that receives very little recognition: the courage to admit that we may have been wrong.

It is easier to defend an old opinion than to examine it again. We have invested words, emotions and sometimes relationships in what we believe. Changing our minds can feel like losing an argument, even when nobody is arguing with us.

Yet life keeps presenting us with information we did not have before. A person we misunderstood may reveal a kindness we never noticed. An idea we once dismissed may begin to make sense. Even our own experiences can teach us that a certainty held for years was built on incomplete understanding.

There is no shame in revising an opinion honestly. In fact, it suggests that the mind is still working, still listening, still capable of growth.

Of course, not every new voice deserves our agreement. The point is not to become uncertain about everything, but to remain willing to examine the reasons behind our convictions.

Perhaps maturity is not about having fewer questions. Perhaps it is about becoming less frightened by the answers that ask us to think again.

Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com