Flip flopping and about faces

Television media often will hail a political candidate as a 'flip flopper,' if s/he changes his or her mind on a topic. These folks make it sound like a bad trait to have. In my own life, I often find myself checking if my current thinking is in line with prior thinking. Reading Fooled By Randomness, and listening to critics of media pundits, I've started to realize just how fool hearty that is.

• When presented with new information, why shouldn't I be willing to make a complete about face on a decision? 
• What's wrong with admitting being wrong? 
• Could it possibly be better to be a cranky old coot, incapable of incorporating new information?

Now, I hope that by looking at my past thinking I can spot how I was previously fooled and just learn from that mistake. If that makes me flip flop my positions, so be it. At least I won't be fool-hearty as well.