You are only as young as the last time you changed your mind. Kevin Kelly
In the 16th century, when tobacco was first introduced in England, it was seen as a reliable prophylactic against the plague. Kids were encouraged to use it and faced punishment in some schools if they didn’t take the required dose.
The current guidelines from the World Health Organization on Tobacco usage are unequivocally clear: “Nicotine contained in tobacco is highly addictive, and tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, over 20 different types or subtypes of cancer, and many other debilitating health conditions. Every year, more than 8 million people die from tobacco use”.
If we could time travel, it would be prudent to go back to London in 1600 and say to those in charge “Maybe a little skepticism is good for you.” Being skeptical doesn’t mean rejecting everything outright; it means being willing to keep an open mind, challenge your assumptions, listen to new perspectives, and admit when you're wrong.
In 100 years, a lot of what we take to be true now will be proved to be wrong, maybe even embarrassingly wrong. A good question to ask yourself today is “What might I be wrong about?” This is the only worry worth having. Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly’s wise words reveal a profound truth, one that challenges us to remain curious, open, and willing to rethink what we believe. In an age of information overload and competing truths, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to have an open mind.
So, when was the last time you changed your mind?
For the record, I'm not talking about chronic indecision—like staring at a menu for five minutes trying to pick a meal while the waiter becomes increasingly nervous, or wasting ten minutes we don’t have in the morning (because we overslept) debating between the blue and red sweater.
Keeping an open mind is much more than being decisive.
We all have biases. Whether it’s the music we listen to, the food we eat, or the beliefs we hold, our preferences often come from preconceived notions and like it or not, they are often shaped by when, where, and to whom we were born. We are products of the lottery of birth, shaped by circumstances beyond our control.
A person raised in a conservative Christian household in the U.S. will naturally have a vastly different worldview than someone born to a traditional Muslim family in the Middle East. They could both be right in their own way. However, when competing worldviews clash, the result can range from petty disputes to full-blown wars.
All that said, while circumstances do indeed shape us, it’s our choices that define us. That's why the ability to maintain an open mind is one of the most underrated skills out there.
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. George Bernard Shaw
As we age, life has a way of showing us how much we don’t know. If there’s one gift maturity offers, it’s the ability to reflect and revise.
In our youth, maybe we were influenced by groupthink—what was cool, what was acceptable, what our tribes dictated. But as adults, we gain the freedom to challenge those limits. Whether it’s music, art, or opinions, there’s great value in reconsidering things we once dismissed.
Remember being a kid who always ate PB&J sandwiches at lunch, simply because you knew you liked them? It’s the same with our broader views. We gravitate toward what feels familiar and safe, but that mindset can keep us from discovering something transformative.
Ultimately, there are very few facts that will stand the test of time.
What matters most is integrity—acting in a way that doesn't harm others and keeping our promises. Everything else is simply noise.
So, if there’s one takeaway from this piece, it’s to ask ourselves this question periodically: "What might I be wrong about?"
Growth requires the humility to admit that, quite often, we are indeed wrong. So, let’s go ahead and keep an open mind. Let’s find the song, book, or belief we once maligned, and give it another chance. We might surprise ourselves.
An open mind leaves a chance for someone to drop a worthwhile thought in it. Mark Twain