The hardest thing in life is to challenge one's own beliefs.
Is anyone actually struggling to change their own beliefs? Why would anyone want do that, and even if they did want to, is it possible? What they might do is remain undecided about some issue, and engage in a process of analyzing and pondering.
All those people who, in 1900 believed that heavier-than-air flight was impossible, when they witnessed their first airplane flight changed their belief instantly with no struggle. We can not choose what we believe IMO. Belief sneaks up on us.
The easiest thing in the world is to rely on facts and then you don't need beliefs.
I don't agree. With evidence to convince me that my beliefs are wrong, I change them all the time.
@ToolGuy It may be greater than that if you look at the numbers that leave the religion of their youth.
Is it? My beliefs have constantly changed throughout my life. When presented with evidence that challenges those beliefs I will explore the validity of the evidence, its source, and its accuracy.
It is possible that I started from a different perspective than most theists, in that I was born an atheist and despite slightly christian parents, I was encouraged to make up my own mind about life, be inquisitive and not just believe things because somebody says so.
I remained an atheist and skeptic and have changed my view on many topics many times in my lifetime.
The truly sad thing is that they are not "one's own beliefs," but someone else's that we were infected with.
Not for me it wasn't. I believed so much that I wanted to be a perfect Christian and believed that all answers would lead to God. Let's just say I was very wrong. It WAS very hard to accept that my beliefs were wrong, by then it was too late, I discovered that I was an atheist.