Saturday, August 23, 2014
Example-Based Definitions | Open-minded, Closed-Minded
Consider these example-based definitions of open-minded and closed-minded.
Open-minded means: Come on in. Stay a while. Sit down. Let's have a conversation. The open-minded entertain ideas and reflect on the experience. They do not make snap judgments. They explore evidence. They invite ideas.
The open-minded understand and acknowledge that their opinions are either substantiated or invalidated by the information and instructions used in their thought processes. The open-minded will adjust as they learn. They will change as much as they need to in order to get to where they are supposed to be. They understand the goal is what can help them grow. Open-mindedness includes the spiritual mind.
The open-minded never make final decisions or draw conclusions. All decisions, no matter how certain at the moment, are ongoing decisions subject to revision.For the open-minded, their identity is tied to the truth. They fear not knowing the truth from never encountering it or encountering it and not recognizing it. This is why they will investigate ideas they encounter to hone and develop their ability to recognize truth. A different idea is a chance to get better by practicing their recognition skills. They do not recognize truth solely by how the idea feels.The open-minded tend to be children who have not fallen prey to misconceptions of adulthood. The open-minded also tend to be adults who embrace the child in themselves rather than try to erase or replace it. They understand the essence of childhood supports adulthood. (See “child, children, childhood” this blog)
Closed-minded means: I'm busy. What do you want? I don't want any unsolicited ideas. No, I don't have time. My life is fine. Quit talking crazy and don't come back. The closed-minded shut themselves off from the world of ideas. They do not allow anything different to enter their personal space so there is no chance to meet an idea on its own merits. This limits opportunities and growth.
The closed-minded fight ideas. They usually stick with something because they have for so long. There are other reasons, but “how long something is believed or disbelieved” is a top contributor to closed-mindedness. The closed-minded believe it's about who's right and who's wrong.The closed-minded barricade themselves inside a mental and emotional house.. They ignore evidence. The closed-minded do not understand or acknowledge facts or other sources of information or other contexts that invalidate their opinions. They believe their audacity trumps veracity. As a result,the closed-minded say one thing and do another because there is no continuous reconciliation process between thoughts and actions because there is no continuous learning, adjusting and self-correcting process.
For the closed-minded, their identity is tied to the idea. A different idea is a threat to their identity and creates an identity crisis, because if they, for one moment, consider another idea or portion of it to be a better choice, insecurity about who they really are rises up to protect them. This is fear in disguise.The closed-minded tend to be children and adults who think being grown means they can make decisions on their own. In other words, they don't have to listen to anyone, not even their spirit. In other words, they can restrict or shut off the dynamic flow of information and be self-assured it's the best thing for them because they have the right to make their own choices. This comes from the fallacy of individualism in many societies that misinforms people their choices only affect them.
