"You're not Open-Minded" I said to a friend during a discussion. He
vehemently disagreed. And this reminded me of several similar
conversations I've had with different friends on different continents.
This got me thinking. What is Open-Minded ? And while I was quite certain that the friends to whom I had made those remarks were not open-minded, the question remained. Was I ?
And on searching I came across an article on Forbes by Ron Carucci.
"Think You're Open-Minded? Here's How To Be Absolutely Sure"
Its a must read. Here are a few interesting quotes.
"
Unity, the intentional welcoming of differences, comes from a true openness to having your mind changed.
People who differ from us reveal who we are. When we avoid them, we stop discovering who we are.
Who among us would ever say, “Sure, I say I’m open-minded, but I don’t really mean it. I do everything I can to look like I am open to ideas and viewpoints that are different than mine, but deep down I really believe I am right and those that think differently are just wrong”?
Leaders fail to realize they actually do say this regularly….with their behavior. In fact, we all do. The recent transition to a new presidency has revealed how painfully divided we are as a nation, and it has revealed how horrifically intolerant we are towards those who differ. If we want a truly re-united country, and if we want truly united organizations, then we’re going to have to get much better at genuinely embracing differences.
One problem is that we often confuse unity for uniformity. The Latin origin of the word unite is unus, meaning 'one'. It means to join together, to fuse, and to connect. By contrast, the word uniform has its Latin derivative uniformis, meaning constant, unvarying, stable, and unchanging. By its definition, uniformity is divisive. The pursuit of sameness excludes differences. But uniformity is seductively comforting. We like to be around people who see the world as we do. We naively think that uniformity, the absence of dissonance, means unity. But that’s actually the definition of a cult. The inability of an organization, or a nation, to unite around its differences is a severe liability. Because when the strength of that organization, or nation, is tested by external forces, internal warfare begins and everyone involved is unlikely to fare well. Unity, the intentional welcoming of differences, comes from a true openness to having your mind changed.
Whether you lead a team or are a member of one, run an entire organization, or are a neighbor in a community, here are five ways to honestly assess whether your actions and words match your self-proclaimed open-mindedness...
"
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roncarucci/2017/03/27/think-youre-open-minded-heres-how-to-be-absolutely-sure/#681bde0e5ea7
On a related subject, there's this very interesting Coursera Course by the University of Edinburgh.
From the lesson
Dogmatism and open-mindedness in politics, religion, and life
Professor Victor Ottati (like Dr. Legare before) thinks that humility has a lot to do with being open to new ideas and to things we disagree with. He shows how our ability to be open-minded is related to our personal traits and to specific situations. How open-minded do you think you are about politics, religion, and any other ideas you disagree with?
The Course
Intellectual Humility: Science
It’s clear that the world needs more intellectual humility. But how do we develop this virtue? And why do so many people still end up so arrogant? Do our own biases hold us back from becoming as intellectually humble as we could be—and are there some biases that actually make us more likely to be humble? Which cognitive dispositions and personality traits give people an edge at being more intellectually humble - and are they stable from birth, learned habits, or something in between? And what can contemporary research on the emotions tell us about encouraging intellectual humility in ourselves and others? Experts in psychology, philosophy and education are conducting exciting new research on these questions, and the results have important, real-world applications. Faced with difficult questions people often tend to dismiss and marginalize dissent. Political and moral disagreements can be incredibly polarizing, and sometimes even dangerous. And whether it’s Christian fundamentalism, Islamic extremism, or militant atheism, religious dialogue remains tinted by arrogance, dogma, and ignorance. The world needs more people who are sensitive to reasons both for and against their beliefs, and are willing to consider the possibility that their political, religious and moral beliefs might be mistaken. The world needs more intellectual humility. In this course, we will examine the following major questions about the science of intellectual humility: • How do we become intellectually humble? • What can human cognition tell us about intellectual humility? • How does arrogance develop, and how can we become more open-minded? • How do emotions affect our ability to be intellectually humble?
https://www.coursera.org/learn/intellectual-humility-theory
https://www.coursera.org/learn/intellectual-humility-practice
And finally a TedX on the Subject.
Are You Open Minded? Three Ways to Break Thinking Patterns
Paul Sloane
TEDxUniversityofBrighton
While I'm not sure this is directly related to Open Mindedness, the talk does have some great ideas to review and update our thinking patterns.
After having gone through all of the above, my conclusion on myself was 2 fold. I'm not as open-minded as I thought I was or should have been. And this realization is hopefully the beginning of a change in the right direction.
And the second is that it's pointless to tell anyone that they are not open-minded. Those who are, will be open to listen . And evaluate. And those who aren't. Won't. Listen or Change. So why bother ?
This got me thinking. What is Open-Minded ? And while I was quite certain that the friends to whom I had made those remarks were not open-minded, the question remained. Was I ?
And on searching I came across an article on Forbes by Ron Carucci.
"Think You're Open-Minded? Here's How To Be Absolutely Sure"
Its a must read. Here are a few interesting quotes.
"
Unity, the intentional welcoming of differences, comes from a true openness to having your mind changed.
People who differ from us reveal who we are. When we avoid them, we stop discovering who we are.
Who among us would ever say, “Sure, I say I’m open-minded, but I don’t really mean it. I do everything I can to look like I am open to ideas and viewpoints that are different than mine, but deep down I really believe I am right and those that think differently are just wrong”?
Leaders fail to realize they actually do say this regularly….with their behavior. In fact, we all do. The recent transition to a new presidency has revealed how painfully divided we are as a nation, and it has revealed how horrifically intolerant we are towards those who differ. If we want a truly re-united country, and if we want truly united organizations, then we’re going to have to get much better at genuinely embracing differences.
One problem is that we often confuse unity for uniformity. The Latin origin of the word unite is unus, meaning 'one'. It means to join together, to fuse, and to connect. By contrast, the word uniform has its Latin derivative uniformis, meaning constant, unvarying, stable, and unchanging. By its definition, uniformity is divisive. The pursuit of sameness excludes differences. But uniformity is seductively comforting. We like to be around people who see the world as we do. We naively think that uniformity, the absence of dissonance, means unity. But that’s actually the definition of a cult. The inability of an organization, or a nation, to unite around its differences is a severe liability. Because when the strength of that organization, or nation, is tested by external forces, internal warfare begins and everyone involved is unlikely to fare well. Unity, the intentional welcoming of differences, comes from a true openness to having your mind changed.
Whether you lead a team or are a member of one, run an entire organization, or are a neighbor in a community, here are five ways to honestly assess whether your actions and words match your self-proclaimed open-mindedness...
"
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roncarucci/2017/03/27/think-youre-open-minded-heres-how-to-be-absolutely-sure/#681bde0e5ea7
On a related subject, there's this very interesting Coursera Course by the University of Edinburgh.
From the lesson
Dogmatism and open-mindedness in politics, religion, and life
Professor Victor Ottati (like Dr. Legare before) thinks that humility has a lot to do with being open to new ideas and to things we disagree with. He shows how our ability to be open-minded is related to our personal traits and to specific situations. How open-minded do you think you are about politics, religion, and any other ideas you disagree with?
The Course
Intellectual Humility: Science
It’s clear that the world needs more intellectual humility. But how do we develop this virtue? And why do so many people still end up so arrogant? Do our own biases hold us back from becoming as intellectually humble as we could be—and are there some biases that actually make us more likely to be humble? Which cognitive dispositions and personality traits give people an edge at being more intellectually humble - and are they stable from birth, learned habits, or something in between? And what can contemporary research on the emotions tell us about encouraging intellectual humility in ourselves and others? Experts in psychology, philosophy and education are conducting exciting new research on these questions, and the results have important, real-world applications. Faced with difficult questions people often tend to dismiss and marginalize dissent. Political and moral disagreements can be incredibly polarizing, and sometimes even dangerous. And whether it’s Christian fundamentalism, Islamic extremism, or militant atheism, religious dialogue remains tinted by arrogance, dogma, and ignorance. The world needs more people who are sensitive to reasons both for and against their beliefs, and are willing to consider the possibility that their political, religious and moral beliefs might be mistaken. The world needs more intellectual humility. In this course, we will examine the following major questions about the science of intellectual humility: • How do we become intellectually humble? • What can human cognition tell us about intellectual humility? • How does arrogance develop, and how can we become more open-minded? • How do emotions affect our ability to be intellectually humble?
https://www.coursera.org/learn/intellectual-humility-theory
https://www.coursera.org/learn/intellectual-humility-practice
And finally a TedX on the Subject.
Are You Open Minded? Three Ways to Break Thinking Patterns
Paul Sloane
TEDxUniversityofBrighton
While I'm not sure this is directly related to Open Mindedness, the talk does have some great ideas to review and update our thinking patterns.
After having gone through all of the above, my conclusion on myself was 2 fold. I'm not as open-minded as I thought I was or should have been. And this realization is hopefully the beginning of a change in the right direction.
And the second is that it's pointless to tell anyone that they are not open-minded. Those who are, will be open to listen . And evaluate. And those who aren't. Won't. Listen or Change. So why bother ?
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