Evolving Perspectives Isn’t Hypocrisy, It’s Growing Up | by Manish Pradhan | Jul, 2025

I’m almost 19 now. Still a teenager, but far from who I was just a few years ago. Looking back, it’s fascinating and sometimes a bit embarrassing to reflect on the person I used to be, especially when it comes to opinions, beliefs, and the passion I once poured into things I no longer stand by.

When I was 14, during the COVID-19 lockdown, I found myself deeply intrigued by politics. I would spend hours watching the news, reading articles, and absorbing political debates. Somewhere along the way, I started aligning myself strongly with a particular party. I admired their leaders, I defended them on social media even when they were clearly in the wrong. I argued on their behalf, not because I understood the depth of governance or policy, but because I started aligning myself with them. That emotion was enough.

But over time, as the noise faded and my maturity started to come by, I began to see things differently. I started noticing the pettiness and how many of the issues being debated were distractions from what actually mattered. The blind loyalty I once had started to feel hollow. Eventually, I stepped back from it all, not because politics didn’t matter, but because the version I became felt uncomfortable aligning with them.