Personally I respect someone more if I notice they change their mind publicly, but I'm sure I'm in the minority, and it was only through deliberate self modification that I acquired this trait.

Notice, too, that public figures with a reputation for frequently changing their minds tend to be the subject of mockery and ridicule even in academic circles. When, for instance, the name of Hilary Putnam comes up in philosophy discussions, it is not uncommon to read or hear a sarcastic comment noting that he has successively embraced and abandoned several different positions on a given question over the course of his career.