When your audience owns you

We have a tendency to trap ourselves in our own opinions. And the more tightly we cling to them, the more strongly held, the harder they are to escape.

It’s okay to disagree. It’s okay to be wrong. It’s more than okay to change your mind. But our culture doesn’t make that easy.

This is especially true for political commentators and those in adjacent spaces. For them, their views aren’t just opinions—they’re a product of sorts. Their product. Their livelihood depends on a clearly defined set of beliefs. Their audience, their colleagues, and their sponsors support them precisely because they align with those beliefs.

Imagine trying to change your mind in that environment. The audience pushes back. Revenue dries up. And where do you go from their? The so-called “other side,” whatever it might be, rarely welcomes converts warmly and with open arms—especially not ones who arrive with a complicated mix of views, some of which are palatable to them, and some of which are not.

I suspect many peop…