Ya know… I love Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert. He usually gets it right. Today, however, he got it very much wrong.

He had a post up on his blog, and it read as follows:

As more U.S. presidential wannabes slither into the race, I realize that flip-flopping season has officially opened.

For those of you who do not follow politics, flip-flopping is what happens when an intelligent person revises his opinion because the situation changes or new information becomes available. Flip-flopping goes by many other names including: rational behavior, thinking, and not being a frickin’ idiot. No one wants that sort of loser to have the nuclear codes.

Actually, no, that’s not what flip flopping is. Flip flopping is the act of changing your opinion and never acknowledging the fact that you had the other opinion in the first place. It’s not about changing your mind in the midst of new evidence or information, it’s about changing your mind and making a point of telling the world that you strongly hold the belief and it’s the way you’ve always felt.

For example, this is a classic example of a flip flop to a degree that we’ve never seen in the modern world:

Note the characteristics of the flip flop:

1. An obvious and demonstrable change of opinion…

2. A complete and obvious lie about prior positions (in this case, “we’ve never been ’stay the course,’)… For reference, point 2 can also be an ignoring of prior positions and an outright change with no explanation.

It’s important to note that had he said, “We still believe in staying the course, but we’ve come to realize that the course needs adjustment,” that probably wouldn’t be a flip flop, although it would be pretty damned close.

In conclusion, a flip flop isn’t just a change of opinion, it’s a change in opinion accompanied by a lack of acknowledgment of prior positions or a lie about prior positions.

Consider yourself educated as flip flop season is about to begin.

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