"I Was Briefly Anti-Vax": People Share What Made Them Change Their Stance On Something

I believed that transgender people shouldn’t use their preferred bathroom. I didn’t think about it a lot, but I just thought you had to be your assigned gender. I eventually realized I am lesbian, and educated myself on transgender rights. Now, my best friend is a trans man, and I strongly oppose anti-trans policies, like the bathroom bans.

I used to be very anti-SJW, kinda far right, used to be kinda racist, was against gay marriage, abortion, etc. There was no one event that led me to change, just towards then end of my junior and throughout my senior year of high school, I changed and became more open. I realized I had been indoctrinated by the conservative Christian school I had been going to. They made lots of b******t rules so after I figured out those were b******t I started questioning the other things they teached. Now I’m a freshman in college with a gay flag hanging in my dorm.

So many things. Off the top of my head: evolution and GMO’s were two big things.

I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness, so thought the world was 6000 years old. Didn’t believe in evolution. Used to get into arguments with the doctors at work (I worked in a hospital). Realized before university how much sense it makes when I started reading Richard Dawkins’ books. Now I have a degree in molecular biology, so I finally understand evolution a lot better.

I used to think GMO’s were evil and was vehemently opposed to them, but then I realized that I was just perpetuating misinformation without any reason for believing what I believed. When I finally asked myself why I believed GMO’s were bad, I realized I didn’t even know what “GMO” stood for. Quickly realized while reading up on them how amazing they are. Years later, while getting my degree, I also took a genetic engineering course. Fun stuff.

When I was younger I hated the US with a passion for many reasons. Now, after meeting some average US citizens I realized although the place and it's people aren't perfect (no one/nowhere is) I no longer hate the US. My hate was always unwarranted and petty.

I used to be completely opposed to the idea of spandex being in jeans. Denim should be rough and strong, not stretchy! You need to break it in! I went for years stuck in my ways even as my family tried to convince me.

Then one day I was shopping by myself and tried on a pair of stretchy jeans... any they changed my life. I bought multiple pairs and wear them daily.

They still don’t hold up as well as strong denim, but oh my god does the comfort make up for it!

Don’t be like I was. Try stretchy jeans before it’s too late.

This is rather specific, but I was convinced that the only way I (and pretty much anyone else) could lose weight was by following a very low carb diet, or at least a diet free of any grains. I have childhood memories of my parents doing Atkins and the article “What If It’s All Been A Big Fat Lie,” and then I got exposed to keto and paleo online (Onnit, Nerd Fitness, etc.)

I lost weight going low carb. I know that plenty of people have successfully managed their weight via low-carb, keto, Paleo, etc. I tried going paleo, forgot that Vitamin K counteracts a blood thinner I’m on, ate a bunch of asparagus, and promptly had a stroke. I ended up in the “normal” BMI category for the first time since elementary school by simply eating fewer calories than I was expending. Pasta and popcorn were key factors in my doing so.

Recovered memories

Was taught in college while doing my neuroscience degree that they were always false memories, they don't happen, you'd remember it. Then about four years ago I suddenly remembered being molested by my dad. I had very vivid flashbacks that felt like I had truly gone back in time to when it happened. And when I had my first one, my initial reaction wasn't shock, it was "oh yeah, that used to happen all the time". Eventually worked up the courage to ask my dad if it had happened, and he said it did.

I obsessively researched recovered and false memories. Turns out they are known to happen and even the researcher who spearheaded the research on false memories has said in her papers that recovered memories do happen, though with caveats like age and severity of abuse. Therapists say it's common for patients to come in who remembered abuse they had forgotten. The diagnosis for PTSD includes forgetting the event as a possible symptom. The risk with false memories comes from "recovered memory therapy" which was popular in the 80s.

Being a democrat. I slowly began to realize the whole bipartisan system is rigged to pit people against each and keep everyone fighting and distracted. No wonder George Washington advises against it...

I was a firm believer that the death penalty was reasonable in certain circumstances as a deterrent/punishment.

Then my partner and I watched through the show Penn & Teller Bullshit. One of the episodes was about the death penalty. It's like 45 minutes long, and by the end of it, my opinion on the death penalty had completely and irrevocably changed and I am 100% against it under any circumstances now.

I have never had my mind changed so thoroughly on something in such a short time. Highly recommend people go watch that episode.

I've had incredible strong opinions against surveillance. While I'm still against mass surveillance, compared to before even the slightest camera could upset me.

Not only is it easier to accept now, but as I recently was called as a witness I started thinking in the terms that we might still to this day be based on witch hunts to some degree when we don't have other proof than words. Cameras can prevent that.

Sure have I understood that the use of cameras before, but never did I thought about what it actually could replace.

EDIT: fixed some typos.

I used to believe in the Judeo-Christian God. I sure don’t now.

The fact that I was straight. Really tough for me to realize I like girls too. I struggled with it mostly because in middle school I'd been taught gay was a bad thing and didn't even have a word for bi. Kinda difficult for me to see it as anything else even after I realized.

I used to be really against any form of sexuality. Grew up in a home that I was taught it was bad. So I was one of those girls who thought sex workers/openly sexual women were less than.

Well, I ended up getting cheated on with a cam girl. Started to cam just to prove I could do it, then saw how sweet a lot of the girls were. Also that the job wasn’t solely sexual, talking to some of my regulars gave them enough confidence to approach women in person.

I broke up with girlfriends over wanting kids in life. Took me 30 years and meeting my wife to come upon adoption over natural.

I used to be vehemently anti-tipping. Like many redditors, I had my laundry list of reasons tipping sucks ready and waiting.

Then I actually learned about the economics, and what would happen if we stopped the tipping system. Most of my reasons for disliking tipping are still valid. They're just not remotely worth f*****g over a huge segment of American workers, as well as other negative consequences.

Not gonna date someone who smokes.

Married someone who occasionally smokes.

I voted for our President, but his "inane" tweets, are a disappointment.