[ars]

Other intelligent life will probably have a huge effect. But simply finding life, even complex life, won't.

The question now is the reverse - suppose we find nothing? Suppose we find no life even in an environment that should have it?

[kappaknight]

Finding life will be the prequel to finding intelligent life. You're right that finding life itself won't change the views of people who choose to close their minds, but it will be the start of many realizing we're nothing special, but rather, something very common.

Also, I'm almost certain there are life in other planets in our solar system. It'll just take a few (relatively speaking) more years to prove it.