Why Comics Are Better Than Politics

Here's Joe Quesada, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, from his weekly Q&A on Newsarama:

By the way, this brings up a very important thing. I often hear fans complain that four years ago I said something and it looks like with a certain decision - whatever it is - I went against what I said four years ago, three years ago, six years ago ... whatever. Here’s what I don’t understand...
Why don’t I have the right to change my mind?

Why don’t I have the right to grow with my job, to learn from it and the people I work with?
Of course I enter my position here as Editor-in-Chief with my own set of ideas and goals and for the most part I stick to them because they’re global and they involve on core ideal, which is to bring the fans the best books possible to the best of our god-given abilities.

Now that said, and outside of that, why can’t I change my mind or my point of view as long as it’s towards getting to that core ideal? I don’t run editorial with an iron hand. Before we make big decisions, I always take in everyone’s opinions and sometimes the right argument will change my mind and in some cases my core beliefs about comics.

But isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? Aren’t we supposed to grow in life and in our careers? I’m all for one sticking to what they believe in but if they do that at the expense of never hearing another point of view, then they’re on the road to ruin.

I don’t surround myself with “Yes Men,” and never intend to for just that reason. So, sorry for the aside, but it always blows me away when I see people freak out because I’ve changed my mind on something. I’m not an elected official folks. I didn’t get my job by promising a bunch of things. I’m a businessman and a creator. If I don’t have the ability to change my mind, if I don’t have the ability to be open to different points of view, then I can’t do this job properly. And more importantly, I wouldn’t be doing this weekly Q&A and I wouldn’t be reading and answering my emails.

Quesada for President!

In creative circles, honest feedback is critical, and generally valued -- how else can one improve their craft? Can't help but wonder what a flexible, creative approach in the political sphere rather than the current Without a Doubt program might achieve. (Possibly haunted houses for criminals to scare them straight).