Doug Kanter wrote:

Only stupid people rigidly refuse to change as they learn.

Excellent point. We all seem so quick to
roast this person or that for a shift of opinion on an issue, but I wonder how
many of us could honestly say that we
feel exactly the same way about everything today as we did two or three years
ago?

I'm not trying to defend Harry or any other individual, but speaking in
generalities....

Times change, the environment changes,
the economy and the specific major problems facing our society both change.
There are, I would have to guess, two possible approaches.

Approach A: "I'm either so fricking smart or have been told directly by a
divine Voice that the opinions I held at Point X in my life were holy writ, not
subject to change, and to reexamine my positions from time to time would be
tantamount to admitting that
either the divine I or the divine Voice could have been wrong. Won't happen."

Approach A would be similar to driving a 35 year old VW beetle because it was
once the perfect car for your needs.

Approach B: "The conditions to which I must respond in life are fluid, rather
than static. I must always be evaluating my opinons and beliefs in light of
changing conditions to be certain that they remain
appropriate. I must not be reluctant to abandon an opinion or a belief that
proves to be either untrue or an ineffective approach to solving a particular
problem"

Approach B is more likely to represent an inquisitive mind.

From a practical standpoint, one has to be ready to shift opinions about a
person, place, thing, or idea after one's own efforts result in change. For
example, would it be appropriate to feel exactly the same about
the Chinese today as we did 10-15 years ago? For a more contemporary example,
observe how our official US opinion of Saddam Hussein changed over a couple of
decades.

As I observed, most of us who are quick to
be critical of others for changing an opinion or a belief have a history of
doing so as well. I think that in many cases, and for the right reasons, it is
probably a healthy thing.

Ther *are* certain morals and ethics that will remain fairly constant in a
respectable life, although they won't be exactly identical among all
respectable people.