نظرم عوض شد فارسی 1404

The book Changing My Mind by Julian Barnes is a short collection of five essays, all connected by the central theme of “changing one’s mind” and the nature of the human mind. Barnes approaches the topic from a personal and philosophical perspective, exploring why our thoughts and beliefs sometimes change, and whether such changes signify growth or are merely the passage of time. He draws on everyday examples, personal experiences, and quotations from philosophers and artists to show that changes of mind are not always conscious; rather, they result from the interaction of memory, emotions, and new realities.

In the first essay, Barnes examines the simple phrase “I have changed my mind” from linguistic and logical perspectives. He asks: who is the subject in this sentence? Do we change our mind, or does the mind change us? This inquiry broadens into a reflection on the relationship between consciousness and time. He then turns to memory, explaining that recalling the past is always a reconstruction, not a playback. Memories distort over time and may even not truly belong to us, yet we hold them in our minds as “reality.”

Barnes also discusses politics and how beliefs evolve over time, showing how social changes and personal experiences can reshape political or moral perspectives. He addresses the role of language and literature in this process, arguing that words and books do more than reflect thought—they actively change the way we perceive and feel. In this section, he uses examples from writers he admires to illustrate the connection between language and shifts in the mind.

Barnes emphasizes that changing one’s mind is a natural part of human intellectual and emotional life, while also reminding the reader that even this belief may one day change. Instead of offering a definitive conclusion, he leaves a sense of openness and doubt—perhaps the very condition necessary for genuine thinking.