Poll: Have You Ever Completely Changed Your Mind On A Forum Thread?

[Ready]

I frequently reconsider my position on many things. I don't ever want to be one of those people who have become so set in my ways that I will never reconsider anything in light of new information or a new perspective on something.

 

[HFWR]

I frequently reconsider my position on many things. I don't ever want to be one of those people who have become so set in my ways that I will never reconsider anything in light of new information or a new perspective on something.

That could lead one to irrelevance!

 

[Silver]

Can someone provide a ferinstance as to the kinds of topics, (since politics, etc, are verboten), where the input from others would generate a 180?

Investing/vehicles, etc, seem to me to offer honing tips which would be conducive to tweaking, rather than causing an about face.

Anybody?

I've listened to many discussions about paying off a mortgage prior to retirement, and have changed my thoughts from 'Mortgages in retirement are evil money wasters and should always be paid off" to "Mortgages may be the right thing for some. There is no correct answer for everyone."

It's like when to take Soc Sec. Or like renting vs buying. Or like when to marry....or have kids....or retire. It all depends on what you have, what you value, and what you want. No one is qualified to judge except for themselves.

But using logic and constructive feedback, this community can be very helpful in self analysis about what may be best for you.

 

[HarveyS]

Yep. There are a lot of smart people on this board, and their posts have helped in changing my mind on a few issues.

I agree. I have done a 180 on a couple of issues.

I respect many of the people posting on this board since we have a great deal in common. While I enter into dialogs 100% certain that I am right, in a few instances I have been "enlightened" to a new point of view. As a stubborn, old(ish) man, that is what keeps me coming back. The dialog and the opportunity to be shown a different point of view in a logical, constructive manner.

(However.......sometimes the dialog does not resonate with me as logical or constructive..., in which case I tend to head for the exit.)

 

[Masquernom]

I posted this earlier. I was totally convinced that global warming was due to the CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Then I read this long post from a chemist. I posted this in the long renewable energy thread;

https://www.peakprosperity.com/2019-year-in-review-part-1/#climate

After reading through it all, he made enough points that I can at least say that now I am only certain the world is getting warmer, but can't say for sure why.

I was convinced once that we were at peak oil production. I was sure of it. Then horizontal drilling and fracing came along. Now there is conventional oil and non-conventional (fraced) oil. The world is apparently awash in the stuff.

So I've been trying to learn to take things with a grain (or shaker) of salt here in my old age.

 

[Nemo2]

OK.....I guess I was looking more for polar opposites, (so, I'm an extremist...sue me ), rather than what I, personally, would probably consider 'modifications'.

Thanks for the input folks!

 

[MRG]

Yes, sometimes quickly, others are a process. In this non-political forum somehow over almost 7 years I've chosen a different way of looking at life. Did someone here say one sentence that changed my mind? No. Did it happen elsewhere? Dunno. I give this group credit, open discussions of other non-political issues led me rethink things in my world.

The quick reflections may be mainly from new knowledge. Long term stuff? Perhaps new knowledge that takes a while to hear. [emoji111]

 

[RunningBum]

I've done a full spin on when to take SS. A co-worker convinced me to take At 62 because in the dot .com bubble we were making a much better return. At some point,maybe it was here, I flipped and decided the longevity Insurance of taking at70 was absolutely the right choice,as long as my health was good. Then a discussion here opened my eyes to bring flexible: if there is a big downturn between my age 62 and 70, take SS rather than sell assets at a low, banking on a market recovery.

 

[CDRE]

I have changed my mind on issues numerous times over the years. These changes almost always coincide with learning new information about that particular topic. When I feel that the new information invalidates my previous conclusion on a topic then I'm willing to change my mind on that topic. This new information can come from a variety of sources, including blog discussions.

Early-retirement.org is one of the few websites that I follow regularly. I have learned a lot from reading the various discussions. I could not say that I have changed my mind many times based on the discussions here, nor do I keep track of such statistics. But I have been able to develop opinions and conclusions on topics that I knew little about before listening to the conversations here.

Although I don't post much, I do log on every day and read many of the blog threads. I have learned a lot from the collective wisdom of the group, and this continuing education is the primary reason why I stick around. Thanks very much to all of you!

+1

 

[CDRE]

Can someone provide a ferinstance as to the kinds of topics, (since politics, etc, are verboten), where the input from others would generate a 180?

Investing/vehicles, etc, seem to me to offer honing tips which would be conducive to tweaking, rather than causing an about face.

Anybody?

1. Nationwide legalization of marijuana.
2. Must retire with zero debt.
3. Stuff working income to the allowed maximum into tax deferred and ignore after tax saving.
4. There is no simple formula for SS. When to begin SS is unique to each person's situation and determination of the timing requires extensive reading on E-R.org.

 

[Midpack]

An interesting thread. The many people on this thread who have given examples of substantially changing their minds don’t seem to be central players on contentious threads - a second insight. So this thread has been enlightening in unexpected ways to me. And I know what gets me going, and what I can easily ignore.

 

[DrRoy]

At least partially due to involvement here, from year 1 to year 4 of RE I have increased ourspending by about 70% due to discussions about Blow That Dough and WR's. (still under 3%).

 

[Scuba]

I changed my mind about using a financial advisor with compensation based on AUM. We used one for a few years before ER and about 18 months after ER. Decided after reading many posts on various threads that we’d be better off managing our own assets and hiring expertise on an as needed, fee for service basis.

 

[pacergal]

Yes, many times the conversations here have helped me investigate pros/cons and changed my mind.
This forum has so many knowledgeable folks and the discussions are very informative, even if a few get a bit over zealous. Everyone seems to be giving from a desire to be helpful.
A few for me:
When to retire(we retired 5 years earlier than I thought we could)
Using a financial planner AUM vs fee for service (helpful as I was dealing with inheritance)
Mortgage in retirement vs investments(mortgage paid off, dealing with HELOC)
Age to take SS(took at 62 personal reasons, but still read all of the threads on it, I learned here that I could stop and pay back within 12 months if I changed my mind. I also learned I can suspend payments and restart at 70--considering this)

 

[omni550]

I was reading an unrelated blog post this morning. Sadly I can't seem to find it atm.

It was about scenarios, often in movies or books, where someone (the protagonist, typically) experiences an event which is LITERALLY life-changing (Matrix and StarWars were cited as examples, as well as a jillion romcoms, etc.). That person changes at that instant and their life moves forward in a totally different manner/direction/whatever.

The author went on to write...although it might seem that a SINGLE EVENT was A HUGE turning point (which makes for a good story, at any rate), it was actually a culmination of many smaller things prior to that event that each contributed in some way. Without those seemingly small and possibly even unrelated events PRIOR to that HUGE event, the HUGE event likely wouldn't have changed the course of that individual's life.

The question posed in this thread reminds me of that blog post. And this may be why we are often revisiting the same or similar ideas (when to start SS, mortgage payoffs, conversions to Roth, mortgages in retirement, second homes, buying vehicles,...the list is endless).

We are all living life. In seeing a familiar topic resurface....time has moved on for all of us, we have had time to think about it, or someone presents a new/slightly different perspective on it, or we've learned something from watching TV or reading elsewhere, or heard from a family member's or neighbor's experience, etc. We may not connect all the dots that have gotten us to our current "new/changed" thinking, but collectively, something has "clicked" and caused us to change our mind.

omni

 

[Yipper]

Over the years, I have become more agnostic on more subjects. I am less sure about many things.

So, yes, I have changed.

Agreed... in youth, the world was mostly black and white for me or ones/zeros since I'm in the software industry. The longer I walk this planet the more I see various shades of grey. Politics, environment, inequality, racism, etc.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Forum discussions get me to look more in-depth into a topic. It alone has never caused me to completely change my mind. Certain topics push all my buttons and bring out the worst in me. I am trying to avoid those.

 

[corn18]

Well, I'm going to vote for heck yeah! At least early on, I had my mind changed a LOT. Every once in a while, I still do, but it's less common now that I have codified a strategy.

The biggest change I made was survivor planning. I was convinced my wife would have plenty of money if I die. Then the what abouts came on strong on the fora and I had to rethink my position. Turns out, I was putting her at risk in some key areas (RMD conversion, life insurance after FIRE, etc...). That changed a lot of my thinking and now she can live just fine.

I like expensive cars. If I can pay cash, what's the big deal? The fora convinced me that a depreciating asset is not fun. Blah, blah, blah. I make $xxx,xxx a year, I can afford it! Once I ran the numbers and saw what a fleet of expensive cars can do to my net worth and retirement plans, we have now settled on Honda Accord EX class cars in retirement vs. BMW/Mercs.

I'm sure there are myriad other examples, but they escape me at the moment. About the only thing I am a zealot about is my signature. Not a fan of anything but buy and hold index funds. But that may have more to do with my abilities than anything else.

 

[Lsbcal]

An interesting thread. The many people on this thread who have given examples of substantially changing their minds don’t seem to be central players on contentious threads - a second insight. So this thread has been enlightening in unexpected ways to me. And I know what gets me going, and what I can easily ignore.

Yes, I avoid really contentious threads. I have enough anxieties to deal with.

I boosted my tips to 20% partly because of comments on this site. But it was a while in coming.

And really will anyone know if someone changes their position 180 degrees? Most of us like to save face. So we slyly modify our positions over time.

Now could I interest you in a little market timing?

 

[frayne]

I don't think anyone is going to do a 180 after reading something on a forum but the seeds needed for eventual change may be planted, and that is a start. True objectivity is easily stated but much harder to attain. In addition, with so much information of dubious origin floating around on social media it pays not to take much at face value without doing your own research.

 

[tmm99]

Of course, I have, on many things.

I change my mind very quickly if someone states a case with logic and reason and it makes sense to me.

I'm practical like that.

 

[Lsbcal]

Then there is the continual market opinions. Should I do 50/50, 60/40 40/60? OK, maybe that is not the big changes the OP had in mind.

I'm always looking for insights to change my behaviors. Like when I mentioned filling out the check register to check the balance. Some folks said they never did that anymore. That gave me the permission (I thought) to follow their lead.

 

[Gumby]

Of course, I have, on many things.

I change my mind very quickly if someone states a case with logic and reason and it makes sense to me.

I'm practical like that.

You are in good company. In a 1986 article in “The Economic Journal” about the notable economist Joan Robinson, she claimed that she had a favorite anecdote about John Maynard Keynes. Robinson was at Cambridge with Keynes and knew him well. According to her, when someone scolded Keynes for being inconsistent, he responded: ‘When someone persuades me that I am wrong, I change my mind. What do you do?’

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Before finding this forum I thought I would work forever.

Ditto

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

While on this forum, I have changed my mind on global warming (based on evidence--it is too late and we are doomed) and investment philosophy (based on my many mistakes).

Over my lifetime, I have made other reversals. As Bob Dylan wrote: "Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now ".