Have you ever initially opposed a new idea or plan? If so, you are not alone. Most people resist change. But have you ever changed your position based upon new information? If so, you are AMENABLE or open to accepting change.
Many American presidents initially opposed an idea only to become AMENABLE to changing their minds. For example, historians now rate the Louisiana Purchase as one of Thomas Jefferson’s greatest presidential achievements. But Jefferson originally opposed the purchase because he believed the Constitution did not grant the federal government the power to acquire new territory. Despite his original opposition, Jefferson became more AMENABLE to the purchase as he recognized that it offered a unique bargain that would enable the United States to gain control over the Mississippi River and the vital port of New Orleans.
Scientists also sometimes initially oppose an idea only to become AMENABLE to changing their minds. For example, we now take space telescope pictures of distant galaxies for granted. But, prominent astronomers such as Bergt Stromgren originally opposed the Hubble Space Telescope as an overly expensive and untested idea that would take funds away from proven ground-based observatories. Despite his early opposition, Stromgren gradually became more AMENABLE to the Hubble project as he recognized that a space telescope would eliminate the blurring caused by atmospheric distortion and light pollution.
AMENABLE – willing to accept a proposed plan or new idea