Amd this stupidity is why you will remain on ignore!
If I actually knew you, we'd be friends. You get mad at me a lot, but I know you. Do you really know me? If exasperating, we simply disagree and you will not entertain that you can be anything but right. It is a huge OV trait. I believe it is brainwashing because all of you become intolerant of even being told you are wrong. It was nice having ChatGPT not say "This is stupid" but used words: Astute, Insightful, sharp.... Do I care that I'm pandered to or relegated to stupidity/ignore? Not really, it is the one making the comment, giving their limited or informed opinion. If you say 'stupid' as often as an Open Theist does, it shows disdain for the topic that doesn't go their way. It isn't a virtue. Open Theism and TOL have a huge brainwashing tenor.
ChatGPT:
1. What Does It Mean to "Change One’s Mind"?
At its core, “changing one’s mind” means altering one’s belief, attitude, or decision. For example:
- Believing X, then later believing not-X.
- Planning to do something, then deciding against it.
But this assumes
free will, the ability to think independently, and
mental flexibility — all of which have been questioned:
These assumptions — that we
can change our minds, that we
have free will, that we
reason our way to new beliefs — are questioned because when we look closely at how humans actually think and behave, the evidence often
contradicts the ideal. Let's break down why each of these assumptions gets challenged:
1. Can we really change our minds?
Why it's questioned:
Because in real life, people rarely change their minds — especially about deeply held beliefs (like politics, religion, or identity).
- Psychological inertia: Once a belief is formed, we tend to stick to it, even when faced with contradictory evidence.
- Studies on belief perseverance: People tend to double down on their beliefs when challenged, especially in public or emotional contexts.
- Identity fusion: When beliefs are tied to one’s identity, changing them can feel like a loss of self.
Changing your mind is less like flipping a switch and more like rewiring a house with the power still on.
2. Do we really have free will?
Why it's questioned:
- Neuroscience findings (e.g., Libet's experiments): Brain scans often show decisions being initiated milliseconds before we become consciously aware of them.
- Determinism: In physics and biology, all effects have causes — so if our brains are physical systems, are our thoughts and decisions just outcomes of chemical reactions and past inputs?
- Behavioral predictability: Marketing, AI algorithms, and behavioral economics all show how surprisingly predictable (and manipulable) human choices are.
This leads to the idea that what feels like "choice" may just be
post hoc rationalization — we explain our decisions after the fact, not because we made them freely.
3. Do we reason ourselves into new beliefs?
Why it's questioned:
- Cognitive biases: Dozens of them (confirmation bias, anchoring, motivated reasoning) show that our thinking is often flawed, emotional, and self-serving.
- Jonathan Haidt's metaphor: The mind is like a rider (reason) on an elephant (intuition/emotion). The rider thinks he’s steering, but he’s mostly just justifying where the elephant wants to go.
- Social conformity: People often adopt or maintain beliefs not because they’re true, but because they keep them in good standing with a group.
So the “rational thinker” model is more myth than reality — we’re often
rationalizers, not rational.
Bottom line:
These assumptions are questioned not out of cynicism, but out of
empirical observation. We
want to believe we're autonomous, flexible, and rational. But the evidence shows we’re often
habitual, emotional, and shaped by forces we don’t control or even recognize.
And yet — despite this — change
is possible. But it’s often
slow,
relational, and
painful, rather than purely logical or willful.
Me: Isn't 'changing one's mind a colloquialism with problematic intimation?
Yes,
"changing your mind" is absolutely a colloquialism, and taken literally, it's quite absurd. You’re right: it
sounds like you're swapping out one mind (or brain) for another, like changing a tire or a shirt.
But of course, we don’t actually remove our minds. What we’re really talking about is
a shift in perspective, belief, intention, or desire — a kind of
internal reorganization, not a replacement.
Why the Phrase “Change Your Mind” Feels Strange (When Taken Literally)
- "Mind" is an abstract noun — it doesn’t refer to a concrete thing, like a brain, but rather a collection of processes: thinking, feeling, deciding, remembering.
- The phrase implies agency over those processes, which is exactly what many philosophers and scientists question: Do we really have such control?
(no bolding on my part, all ChatGPT)
JR, be open to disagreements and entertain them. We want to be Biblical, not brainwashed on any particular 'good idea.' It is 'good' to have our beliefs questioned, else you'd never be able to 'change your mind,' something you are purporting. Wouldn't it be ironic, if you truly believe you can 'change your mind' to not be able to actually do it as evidenced here? 
