An Open Mind
Having an open mind is an idea that liberals use against conservatives, that conservatives use against liberals, and that just about everybody uses against everybody.
Everyone thinks that they have an open mind regardless of if they actually do. Everyone thinks that others that do not agree with their world view are either not smart enough to understand their logic or do not have an open mind (Personally, I usually find that different ideas have to do with different values, more than anything else).
But what exactly is this concept of 'Open Mindedness'?
Being open minded is a willingness to hear other ideas that are not part of our normal train of thought. It does not imply that you have to agree with the idea, merely that there is an honest effort to understand the position. This, also, does not imply the need to break moral principles or beliefs. Having an open mind is a state of mind, not a moral code. No system of morality has a monopoly on an open mind.
Everyone wants to believe that they are open minded and are willing to seriously entertain other people's ideas. Everyone also has a desire to yearn for a 'truth', or what is out there, or knowledge. If for no other reason, than for self-growth and curiousity. Deep down, I think everyone tries to evaluate what they learn. Because they evaluate each thing they learn, everyone believes that they are open minded.
This does not mean everyone is open minded, only that they think that they are.
Many people are closed minded and dogmatic, unwilling to give ideas outside of thier normal thoughts a chance.
An open mind is about intellectual honesty and a willingness to change your beliefs if you think there are better ideas. It should never mean that you need to compromise your moral principles or dignity.
If you only superficially analyze new ideas and then tosses them out, you are not open minded. The intensity that you struggle with the new idea determines how open minded you are. This is regardless of the ultimate verdict of the new idea.
The key to an open mind is being true to yourslef and struggling with other ideas.
Also, one must be willing to accept that you may be closed minded in certain ways and not be able to realize it. But willing to struggle with the ideas and respecting the person who holds them is enough to be open minded.
Thus one can be super religious, a hippie, non-religious, part of corporate america, foreign, domestic, democrat, republican, communist, capitalist, liberal or conservative and be open minded or close minded. The particular beliefs and moral code is unimportant, the honesty to struggle with the new ideas is what is important.
Those who masquerade their particular beliefs, instead of intellectual honesty, as open mindedness are closed minded. Weather you are a Capitalist telling the communist that his system of economics could never work or a Hippie telling a non-drug user that he is closed minded for not taking drugs, does not matter. You are closed minded if you push your beliefs at the expense of honesty.
The people who define their beliefs as open minded are far less honest in their struggle to understand other ideas, and why they would be held, then the people who are dedicated to the concept of honesty.
Everyone thinks that they have an open mind regardless of if they actually do. Everyone thinks that others that do not agree with their world view are either not smart enough to understand their logic or do not have an open mind (Personally, I usually find that different ideas have to do with different values, more than anything else).
But what exactly is this concept of 'Open Mindedness'?
Being open minded is a willingness to hear other ideas that are not part of our normal train of thought. It does not imply that you have to agree with the idea, merely that there is an honest effort to understand the position. This, also, does not imply the need to break moral principles or beliefs. Having an open mind is a state of mind, not a moral code. No system of morality has a monopoly on an open mind.
Everyone wants to believe that they are open minded and are willing to seriously entertain other people's ideas. Everyone also has a desire to yearn for a 'truth', or what is out there, or knowledge. If for no other reason, than for self-growth and curiousity. Deep down, I think everyone tries to evaluate what they learn. Because they evaluate each thing they learn, everyone believes that they are open minded.
This does not mean everyone is open minded, only that they think that they are.
Many people are closed minded and dogmatic, unwilling to give ideas outside of thier normal thoughts a chance.
An open mind is about intellectual honesty and a willingness to change your beliefs if you think there are better ideas. It should never mean that you need to compromise your moral principles or dignity.
If you only superficially analyze new ideas and then tosses them out, you are not open minded. The intensity that you struggle with the new idea determines how open minded you are. This is regardless of the ultimate verdict of the new idea.
The key to an open mind is being true to yourslef and struggling with other ideas.
Also, one must be willing to accept that you may be closed minded in certain ways and not be able to realize it. But willing to struggle with the ideas and respecting the person who holds them is enough to be open minded.
Thus one can be super religious, a hippie, non-religious, part of corporate america, foreign, domestic, democrat, republican, communist, capitalist, liberal or conservative and be open minded or close minded. The particular beliefs and moral code is unimportant, the honesty to struggle with the new ideas is what is important.
Those who masquerade their particular beliefs, instead of intellectual honesty, as open mindedness are closed minded. Weather you are a Capitalist telling the communist that his system of economics could never work or a Hippie telling a non-drug user that he is closed minded for not taking drugs, does not matter. You are closed minded if you push your beliefs at the expense of honesty.
The people who define their beliefs as open minded are far less honest in their struggle to understand other ideas, and why they would be held, then the people who are dedicated to the concept of honesty.
posted by David at 2:27 PM
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