Someone quotes your own words back at you.
Something you wrote years ago. Something you no longer believe.
The instinct is to defend it.
To pretend continuity matters more than clarity.
But you're not a statue.
You're allowed to move.
We treat past opinions like territory.
Ground we must hold or lose face.
But the ego isn't seeking truth.
It's seeking consistency. And those aren't the same thing.
When someone shows you a flaw in your thinking, they're not attacking you.
They're offering you an upgrade.
The embarrassment isn't changing your mind.
It's clinging to a version of yourself that no longer fits.
You're a free agent.
Act like one.