To ask if you've ever radically changed your mind about something (lighthearted!)

[CulturePigeon]

I'm thinking both of serious matters (politics, religion etc) and perhaps less serious ones (food preferences, music genres, colours, hobbies). I'm interested in how or why people change their minds about things, whether suddenly or over a long period.

Politics (and religion, I suppose) can be very tribal and sometimes depend more on what we've been brought up to believe rather than the empirical evidence - but have you had a 'conversion' to the other side in some way?

I have a trivial example to do with food. I was at primary school so long ago that they frequently made you sit until you''d finished whatever was on your plate. I remember at the time that chocolate semolina (oh yes!) made me heave, and although I was generally greedy and not very fussy, I just couldn't get it down. I sat there looking at it and knew I'd have to just do it, so started to shovel it in. By the 4th spoonful I was totally converted and after that, I couldn't get enough - even asked my mum to make it at home. This is really weird, I think, and counter-intuitive, but I've never forgotten it! (Not recommending this as an approach now, though!).

Any experiences like this, either major or minor?

Private schooling and 4x4s

The TV show 'Only Fools and Horses'. My dad watched it - I used to hate it - I'd sneer and leave the room when it came on.

My husband is a fan and watched 'Rock and Chips' (the prequel) on TV when it came out, which in spite of not intending to watch, I got into. I suddenly fancied seeing some actual OFAH episodes and started watching the first series on an old VHS tape my husband had.

Shortly after I found myself ordering the complete DVD box set - now I've watched all of them, some many times, and can quote them etc.

Mushrooms! It took a magic one in my younger to make me like them and now I eat the Muggle kind almost daily

*younger days

I used to believe in God. I don't now.

I also hated sprouts until adulthood, but don't mind them now.

Everything my mum liked that I didn't. My mum always hated any kind of shopping, food, clothes, everything. Now I have two kids in tow and hardly any money I get how un-fun pootling round shops on a Saturday is.
Also loving the outdoors as a city person. Used to joke that I couldn't be too far away from a flat white, now I'd happily Chuck my tent and my kids in the car and live in the wilderness for weeks at a time. The idea of an all inclusive would bore me to tears now.
Big social groups scare me whilst I used to love being centre of attention. Now I just want a curry with three good mates, four max. Ditto making friends. Happy with my lot and know if I make new ones I'll have to try to not reveal myself as an utter weirdo for at least two play dates and I just can't commit to that.

I just realised vegan is another one.

I used to not be a vegan, and now I am.

Work, unfortunately.
I've gone from a hard working, dedicated member of the team to just doing the bare minimum.
Work don't care, they probably haven't even noticed. But my life its loads better. Work has taken a step down in my list of priorities, I'm glad I don't get so stressed about it.

I was brought up atheist, then became very religious throughout my teens and twenties, to the point of considering becoming a nun. It seemed the most natural, self-evident, wonderful thing in the world. Then almost overnight it all sort of melted away and now I don't practice anything, although I'm still quite woo-woo transcendent about nature.

Me 10 years ago would find it impossible to imagine that.

I radically changed my mind on surrogacy. I used to think it was a really lovely, generous gift and now I'm opposed to it in almost all circumstances. I had my eyes opened by reading accounts of surrogacies which had gone wrong, and realising it can easily be, essentially, baby trafficking.

Fish a wouldn't even eat the batter off fish and chips as it has touched fish. Now love all fish and shellfish including oysters.

Who was the common denominator in all my resentments against other people. Clue - it's not "other people"

Marzipan. Used to hate anything almond-flavoured, now love it.

Vegetarianism - used to mock it, now converted.

Recycling - used to think what's the point, it's a drop in the ocean, now realise what a dick I was.

Grew up in a Conservative household and voted same throughout my 20s. Now a teacher - Labour.

And generally as I've aged I'm always delighted to be proved wrong and open all my internal beliefs/prejudices to question.

Apart from the existence God or a another omnipotent being. But that's cool. Each to their own.

I hated olives and avocados when I tried them as a teenager, but now love them

Same here. Along with spicy food, Chinese takeaways etc. (I'd have fish + chips when the rest of the family had Chinese).

Also on the trivial side, I always chose carefully coordinated bedding plants for my patio pots. One year DD chose and she picked randomly coloured primroses. When they were all out I absolutely loved them.

Olives. Used to hate them, love them now.
Sprouts. Used to hate, don't love them now but will buy & eat them.

My mum. The older I get the more I understand where she's coming from.

What it means to be intelligent. I used to only rate academic ability having grown up in a family that does the same. Now I see that academic ability is only one form of intelligence and that emotional, creative and practical intelligence are at least as important.

@TokyoSushi

I was strictly a vodka person, wouldn't entertain gin and all the wankery that can go with it. Got lured in by the gins being all pretty with fruit and flowers and the vodkas looking really dull. Thought I'd just try a gin one day, total convert!

Ooh there is hope... I'm vodka all the way.... but that tankery malarkey is swaying me 😀

Used to want to be a nun and hated wine. Both very changed now

I was raised by Tories and assumed they were right. As an adult I started paying attention to the real world and reading a wider range of news sources, and my views shifted considerably leftwards, where they have remained.

My parents are also very homophobic - once again I applied common sense as an adult and realised there was no logical reason for this.

The OP was asking about the reasons people change opinions. In the latter case, English literature was a big influence. I love poetry, and it’s hard to stay homophobic when you’ve discovered Auden’s love poems, for example.

Also, sprouts. Forgot that one.

I'm not sure why my religious views changed. They just did, almost like a radio being switched off.

I was also raised by Tories, and remained one for as long as I had a good job, a house, money coming in ... Then my life changed and I found myself renting and receiving benefits. My eyes were opened to a different world and I had a taste of having to justify every penny received and spent. My political leanings are very much now to the left.

As a child, I disliked both cheese and marmite. Now they are amongst my favourite foods.

I'm a recent camping convert. I think EHU and huge villa tents have a lot to do with that

Immigration.

I voted Remain, and campaigned for a second referendum but now that Brexit has happened, I have accepted that my side lost the argument on immigration. I now support a points-based immigration system with severe restrictions on unskilled migrants and those who do not speak English.

We now have to accept that free movement isn’t coming back at any time in the foreseeable future and move on. That’s democracy.

An American friend. She was left wing-ish, very open-minded about different cultures, liked mountain biking and had no interest in make up.

About 20 years ago, she met a new partner who slowly changed her completely. She is now an avid Trump supporter, anti vaxxer, animal rights activist, plays golf and wears lots of make up.

Oh and her partner is an illegal immigrant but she hates illegal immigrants...... go
Figure!

Peanut butter

Tinned Tuna, but only in olive oil

Nothing deep though..