There is a strong evolutionary advantage to believing and heeding everything our parents and close guardians tell us when we’re very young. As part of the maturing process that becomes less of an advantage and we begin to think for ourselves. And somewhat counterintuitively, part of thinking for ourselves is to pay more attention to older people who aren’t that close to us than those who are. That’s also an important evolutionary advantage because broadening our own outlook and knowledge of the world from what we’ve been taught as a child is ultimately critical to surviving and prospering.

The latter is why older children and very young adults (if we can call them “adult” before their brains are fully formed) are very susceptible to being indoctrinated with new ideas when they leave home to go to college or some other learning environment such as a Hitler Youth or Young Pioneers encampment.

At some point in life, though, it’s important that we mature enough and learn enough about other ideas that we begin to seriously think about and challenge what we’ve been told and were convinced of until then. Once we start doing that, very often we then realize that what we thought and did as a consequence were simply wrong, or at least not the whole truth.

Sometimes that examination and analysis of our beliefs and what we think we know results in a valid confirmation of those beliefs and knowledge—assuming, of course, that the examination is pursued sincerely and logically. Often, however, and perhaps more often than not, it results in at least their modification, if not their outright rejection. And that’s why people change their minds about almost anything conceivable: where they live, their job, how they feel about their spouse, their hobbies, what car they drive, whether they use alcohol or tobacco, their preference in guns, whether they drink tea or coffee, their religion—and their political beliefs.

Winston Churchill probably didn’t say it, but that’s the basis of the aphorism that “A man who is 20 and not a liberal has no heart and a man who is 40 and not a conservative has no brain.” It’s more common to be ruled by emotion when we’re young than later in life.

All that is why I have more confidence in their understanding of life and the intelligence of people who have gone through that sincere self-examination process and changed their minds about important issues. That’s certainly more true of them regardless of their beliefs than the blinkered, “Mommy, Daddy, the teacher, the professor, the master, the President, the Führer … said it, I believe it, that settles it.”

When someone joins our side we should be more concerned about what they believe and do today than what they believed and did yesterday. Unfortunately, that’s all too often not true, and too many people pride themselves on having been a true believer first and feel the need to point that out at every opportunity.

Sigfreund,
I think our side has shown much more tolerance for newcomers and "seekers" (to use the evangelical pop phrase) than we would have expected.
I recall distinctly having Peter Thiel introduced to the participants in the 2016 GOP convention, where he was given a rousing welcome. Why not rousing? Because he is an openly gay person. Then-candidate Trump, to my best recollection (I was there) seemed pleasantly surprised at the congenial reception.
Similarly with the 2024 convention and the speech by Amber Rose, former stripper and current rapper--not exactly the stereotype of a Trump supporter!
The Dems continue to try to push "Trump lied" and "Trump did this awful thing" on--to name one target audience--evangelical Christians, thinking that will surely turn them against Trump. Yet those voters are much more sophisticated than the Dems think.
They know they aren't voting for a pastor, nor a saint, but for a flawed man (one of the best characteristics of Christianity is the truth that we are all flawed) who has shown an uncommon love for his country and willingness to sacrifice a quiet and peaceful "late middle-age" to fight those who are constantly trying to "improve" America.