How Easy is it to Change Your Mind?
I think it is safe to say that everyone is slightly stubborn. Everybody has a set of strong opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints, and of course no one wants to be told that they are wrong. If you had your mind fixed on something, would you want to change your perspective? I certainly would not.
In 10th grade, I was given the option to leave my old high school and join a new International Baccalaureate school based on science, technology, engineering, and math. I ultimately decided to attend. As the school year progressed, my parents observed the enormous workload I had each night- I would stay up until 4 AM each night attempting to finish it! They repeatedly tried to persuade me to drop out of the school by arguing that the IB would be a waste of my time, it would not help me get into college, and I would receive a substantially lower workload at my old school. Despite my parents’ arguments, I was not one to change my mind that easily. I was determined to do what my mind was set on from the beginning: staying at STEM.
Whether it is at school, home, or at the mall, my friends and I often find ourselves caught up in a heated debate from trivial matters such as a movie to more serious issues, like politics. One particular argument, that is still prominent in my mind till this day, was over my parents’ homeland, India. I had always felt as though several of my friends had an extremely negative perception of what India was like. By simply watching Slumdog Millionaire and a couple TV shows, they blindly formulated a misconception that India was a nation full of filth, poverty and snake charmers. Growing up in a family rooted in India and visiting the country myself during multiple occasions, I knew that my friends’ beliefs were unsubstantiated and imbecilic. In order to convince them to change their mind, I pointed out that the financial poverty and dirty streets portrayed in media only makes up a miniscule portion of India, and in fact, India is home to some of the most opulent and pristine monuments, temples, and rivers. Through showing them pictures of the rich, posh Indian buildings and streets, I was able to successfully convince my friends that their beliefs were wrong.