Ask HN: What is the biggest thing you've changed your mind about?
HN users reflect on the biggest beliefs they’ve reversed over time, from early optimism about the internet, software, and technological “progress” to a more ambivalent view that emphasizes unintended harms, attention economies, and information loss. Many describe political and moral shifts—reconsidering their place on the left–right spectrum, changing views on punishment vs. rehabilitation, drugs and sex work, religion and atheism, and the limits of personal responsibility in unfair systems. Others recount more personal reversals, such as attitudes toward work–life balance, fear of death, the nature of intelligence, and the lasting impact of communities and institutions they once dismissed.
Technology, Internet & “Progress”
- Several commenters now doubt that technological “progress” is a net good, especially the internet and social media.
- Internet seen as a powerful information-sharing tool but also compared to tobacco/lead in its social harms, attention economy, and politics-driven abuse of science.
- Some emphasize that progress is non-linear: it creates new harms (e.g., asbestos) that must be later corrected by further progress.
- Others note disillusionment with software’s social impact and the capture of digital information by paywalls vs. the resilience and accessibility of physical libraries.
- Smartphone gaming is seen as having devolved into “mobile casinos” dominated by ads and monetization, not creativity or learning.
Politics & Ideology Shifts
- Many report drifting across the spectrum without changing core values, attributing this to Overton window shifts and party realignments.
- Some moved rightward with age; others moved left (e.g., from libertarian or conservative to socialist).
- Debate over whether “the left” has embraced “radical” positions or is merely returning to traditional stances; cancel culture and self-censorship are cited.
- Specific issues include equity vs. equality of opportunity, censorship, war, reproductive rights, and U.S. party dynamics.
Crime, Punishment & Drugs
- Strong rethinking of punitive justice: emphasis on rehabilitation, questioning retribution, and anticipation of ethical issues once behavior becomes biologically modifiable.
- Some argue punishment is socially inevitable; others warn that vengeance disguised as “justice” is morally suspect.
- Views on drugs shift from “drug dealers are evil” to libertarian self-ownership and full decriminalization; others see drug use as illness requiring treatment, not prison.
Sex Work, Class & Inclusion
- Major reevaluation of sex work: framed less as moral aberration and more as low-status labor akin to fast food in risks, pay, and stigma.
- Critique of policies that conflate consensual sex work with trafficking and rely on “ending demand.”
- Strong criticism of certain feminist and DEI practices seen as speaking over affected groups and misdiagnosing class problems as primarily identity-based.
Religion, Metaphysics & Psychology
- Shifts both toward and away from religion/spirituality: some abandon belief in non-physical realms; others leave militant atheism and now value religion’s community and morals.
- Dispute over whether “laws of physics” imply non-physical realities or are just human descriptions.
- Harsh skepticism toward psychology/psychiatry as government-aligned tools for maintaining consumer society, contrasted with neurophysiology.
Death, Responsibility & Human Nature
- Many describe moving from fear of death to acceptance, often after personal loss or health scares.
- Personal responsibility views diverge: from “extreme ownership” (everything is one’s fault) to recognition that structural forces can destroy lives despite good choices.
- Growing appreciation of human cognitive differences and emotional needs leads some to use more tailored, emotionally aware communication.
- Others report shifts toward greater empathy, recognizing that everyone is fighting unseen personal battles.
Geopolitics & Nations
- Opinions of Israel and Russia shift negatively due to recent conflicts, perceived aggression, apartheid/ethnic-cleansing rhetoric, and disregard for human rights.
- Defensive alliances around Russia are seen as more rational after revisiting its history of invasions.