Change of view — hypocrisy or growth?

I am writing this article in April 2021. In the past year, the world has seen the onset (and hopefully exit) of a global pandemic that has taken the lives of millions of people around the world, the exit of Trump from presidency, hate crimes against the black and asian communities in the US, and lots of other events. The world has had to deal with so much change in very little time. That got me thinking — why can’t I be inspired by the world, and learn to deal with change as well. Friends and family, welcome to my first real article.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been part of some conversation that has ended with “but you said the exact opposite thing a while back; don’t be a hypocrite”. Maybe you liked chocolate ice cream all your life, and suddenly your friend is giving you the look of disbelief as you walk toward the lemon curd flavored ice cream. Or, maybe it’s something bigger.

With the black lives matter movement in full swing from last year, and the increasing awareness about the historical disadvantage that these communities face, I have, at numerous occasions changed my stance on certain topics. For example, if a year ago someone told me that college admissions in the US were skewed toward taking in more whites, and are jaundiced against the black community, even if both families were given the “same resources”, I’d have probably said something bizarre like “Oh, so it’s all about making the best of what you’ve got & and they both have the same things, so maybe it just happens to turn out this way”.

Today, I am more aware of the starting line being way earlier for the black community and how, for instance, their grandparents were withheld from certain privileges that their white friend’s grandparents had, which directly translates to further privileges for the community.

So, if in a similar conversation with a friend today, I will boldly state my new (and in my opinion, better educated) views on the topic. Is this change? Yes. Is change bad? Not necessarily. Am I a hypocrite? Definitely not.

I think it’s time we focus on the words following the change. Are you changing for the better or worse? If better, congratulations, you have a growth mindset! You aren’t just showing growth, you:

1. Care for a cause enough to challenge your views
2. Are not afraid of seeming or being called a hypocrite because you value a propagation of reformed ideologies more than your ego.
3. Are a part of a giant ripple moving forward

So, the next time you are being put in a spot as a hypocrite, ask yourself if you’re changing for the better (aka have a growth mindset) or worse & you’ll have an answer to the title above.