In his blog post Listening is difficult, Seth Godin notes:

On the heels of Seth's comments, I'd like to add:

In his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Dr. Robert Cialdini notes that humans have a "nearly obsessive desire to be (and to appear) consistent with what we've already said or done. Once we've made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that commitment." This is why it can be so darn difficult at times to change our minds.

Dr. Cialdini goes on to say, "We all fool ourselves from time to time in order to keep our thoughts and beliefs consistent with what we have already done or decided."

This is dangerous - especially when a situation and the facts surrounding it require a critical shift in thinking to elicit positive change.

Now, more-than-ever, we must consciously choose to resist this innate urge to remain consistent with previously stated thoughts, beliefs, and actions so that we can engage in critical thinking and problem solving with the confidence and courage to change our minds whenever necessary.