People Reveal How Their Strongest Opinions Completely Changed

Have you ever had an opinion or stance on something so strong you thought you'd take it to the grave? Well, so did these people. Check out what made them change their once bulletproof opinions!

Did Dinosaurs Roam the Earth?

I didn’t think dinosaurs existed.Growing up in a very conservative, Christian household and attending classical Christian schools, I learned from the misconceptions of A BEKA Book and Bob Jones. Evolution, climate change, carbon dating were simply a ploy of atheists – a trick of the devil to lead the world astray! After misconceptions up to rhetoric school, I graduated from dinosaurs’ non existence to humans coexisting with them until the Great Flood. Now in university plus a little culture shock, I’ve been having A LOT of catching up to do. (Source)

Where She Landed on the Great Vaccine Debate

Same! When our daughter was born I had done your basic Google search. I believed the bullsh*t about vaccines causing autism. When her pediatrician asked about vaccine scheduling, I told her I was hesitant because I didn’t want to cause her harm. The doctor set me straight, gave me piles of papers to read and other (more informed) sites to look at. By the time her vaccines came up, she got the whole lot, and I’m so grateful for that Doctor. Now we have two fully vaccinated kids, and I can’t believe how stupid I nearly was. (Source)

Better With Age

I think turning 20 changed a lot of my beliefs because I thought I FINALLY knew the “truths” of the world- religion was bullsh_t and religious people were sheep, being rich was only for lotto winners or fancy white kids, crushing a bottle of rum in one night was an achievement, there was such a thing as “alpha males” and I was one of them. I was a f*cking idiot.
Turning 30 changed my beliefs again; if religion makes getting up in the morning any easier then go for it, the “millionaire next door” is the achievable goal with discipline and savvy, not being hungover is an awesome feeling and I want to be a positive and calming influence on those in my life. I turned mellow. I am nearing 40 now and am just building on those new outlooks to refine and improve on them. The only person I try to judge harshly is my former self as it motivates me each day to become a better version of me and make my wife and family and friends enjoy their lives more. I have also come around on anchovies; they are actually pretty good. Younger me would be disgusted and I am OK with that. (Source)

Can You Help Me?

I used to hate admitting that I didn’t know how to do something and asking for assistance as the result of it. But, I’ve grown to learn that there is no shame in asking for help. (Source)

Ah, the Hippy Days!

Gm food. Used top be an activist against it. Now think it’s the only way we can feed the world. Organic; used to think it will sort our food problems out, now think it isn’t feasible to feed the world and that there isn’t much science supporting it’s health benefits. Coffee. Used to think it was an addictive substance not good for the body and mind. Now think apart from it being enjoyable it can also give you a creative and energy boost when needed. Though I still don’t want to get so hooked I get headaches when I don’t have it. I used to be a raging hippy. (Source)

Fear Trumps Humor

I found it funny that Trump was running for presidency. It’s not funny anymore. The joke is over Trump, you can stop it now.(Source)

From Fear to Love

Guns. Used to be afraid of them. Thought that nobody but cops and soldiers needed them. That they were unsafe because “they could go off at any time”, and when people said things like “I sleep with my pistol under my pillow”, I thought that that was a recipe for getting your head blown wide open. Once I learned about gun safety, things like double triggers (I dunno if that’s the right word. I’m talking about where there’s a little groove on the trigger that you have to have your finger on, precisely, push that in, then that allows you to pull the main trigger completely. My buddy has a small Sig that has that feature), and just shooting guns at the range…..I love guns now. Not “gun nut”, “no gun control”, “I’m gonna block the CDC from studying gun violence” level love. But having them in my hand feels awesome, now, instead of scary. (Source)

Get Off the Road!

As a driver: Get these stupid bikes off the road! Idiots holding me up, making me change lanes to pass them, getting in my way! Piss off! As someone who has become a keen cyclist: Get these stupid drivers off the road! Idiots don’t see me, don’t give way to me, pass too close, open doors without looking! Piss off! (Source)

Smashing Conspiracy Theories

My friend was 100% into that stuff. Reptilians, flat earth, you name it he believed. He stopped paying his mortgage because of 2012. Then the Boston Bombing happened, and his friend was one of the people who lost their legs in the blast. When he was with his friend in the hospital watching some YouTubers scream “Where’s the blood?!” at footage of his buddy getting brought to the hospital he chilled out real quick. (Source)

What’s Wrong With a Little Marijuana?

Marijuana. Back when i used to smoke I thought it was a wonder-drug that everyone should try at some point and that had no side-effects. After all, its just a plant right? Well, that was all before the side-effects kicked in.
Now, if I take so much as a puff, regardless of which strain, I get anxious to the point of having panic attacks. I feel like everyone in my world hates me, and I crave for my life to end, for non-existence.
Weed is a powerful drug that can yield amazing benefits for some, but can take a horrendous toll on others. And these are just the short-term effects, to say nothing of the long-term consequences of committing so much time, energy, and money into something that can leave you hazing through life without anything to show for it. (Source)

From Civil Union to Marriage

Gay marriage. Like most people over 30, it’s just something that never existed in the past and hey, they can have the same legal status as opposite-sex couples, so civil unions are just fine. For the first and only time in my life, I saw a protest sign that changed my views about 5 years ago that said, “I didn’t ask her to civil union me.” Then I realized it doesn’t affect me one bit but it sure does mean the world to someone else, so why the hell can’t they? (Source)

How Do You Like Your Burger?

Bacon on Burgers. First i was like “Bacon on burgers, Hell Naaw” and now i’m like “Bacon on burgers” Hell yeah!”(Source)

Life’s a Popularity Contest

I used to hate things that were popular. And thought that everything I liked was superior. It’s absolute bullsh*t. People can like whatever they like. I can like whatever I like. It means nothing. And disliking something for being too popular is just you feeding your own need to be a special snowflake. I remember what triggered the change. I just started my very first job, and confidently told my new colleague I didn’t like a show because it was too popular. She had an incredibly confused look and asked “why?” and said “that’s dumb.” And then I asked myself why. And after much thought, I realized that it indeed was dumb. (Source)

What Are We Fighting For?

Iraq and Afghanistan. I was a sophomore in HS when 9/11 happened. I watched the towers fall and got caught up in the immediate blood thirsty aftermath. Spent the next 2 years gearing myself up to graduate and join up as soon as i could.
Joined the Marine Corps and did two combat deployments to Iraq. They were horrible, bloody, and pointless. I realized we weren’t there for our country or our families back home. We were fighting every day just to stay alive, fighting to protect people who wouldn’t need to be protected had we not invaded in the first place. My friends fought and died for another country. I come home and find DHS had labeled vets like me a significant domestic terrorist threat. Our government giving millions to big business because they are to big to fail while service men and women returning from war aren’t given the medical help they were promised. 6k service members dead, and tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of Iraqi civs killed in the crossfire. Trillions of dollars in debt. A VA a flawed mess. Getting rid of records of vets and letting them die before giving them proper care. A generation of young men and women who volunteered to fight for nothing. These are the things we got from Iraq. Nothing positive came to our country out that whole mess. (Source)

What She Discovered About Friendship

I used to think I needed a boatload of friends to not be a complete loser. Now I realize that I’m just not a social butterfly. I have a core of four really good friends and a handful of acquaintances, but I have a hard time finding the time and energy just keeping those friendships up. (Source)

From Asthma to Athlete

Working out. I hated the gym for years, and made fun of gym rats until an asthma attack drove me to get in shape. I went from party keg shape to nearly a six pack in a year, found a girlfriend, and am in great health because of it. In hindsight, I should have done it a few times weekly since I was young. (Source)

It’s Just a Piece of Paper

Going to college. I wholeheartedly believed it was THE most important investment in my future. Now, many of my friends with Masters and PhDs can’t find a decent job and are deeply in debt. I’ve changed my tune. Learning a trade at vocational school would a better investment of time and money. (Source)