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Now I am very confused. In theory it sounds like a very good idea. But when I tried this site what I got is a lot of books about religion. And I don't want to

Now I am very confused. In theory it sounds like a very good idea. But when I tried this site what I got is a lot of books about religion. And I don't want to know anything about religion. I just can't bring myself to have intellectual respect for it. "Open your mind" can be healthy if you are stuck in dumbness but can be a bad advice if you have sound and valid core beliefs as in "a mind too open doesn't hold anything of value". In which of these states am I?

Siira 6y ago
You need to find opposing views that are just on the edge of your current comfort zone, I think. Of course, the whole exercise of having an open mind doesn’t reward one that much, as having a sound worldview has diminishing returns.
- diego_moita 6y ago
  Yeah, this is very meaningful. I agree with you. Usually, when you exercise careful judgement and have a broad culture you don't jump from one belief system to it's complete opposite. Usually you slowly evolve it along time.
lambdatronics 6y ago
The OP states elsewhere in the discussion: >I made a tool that allows you to discover what books you are least likely to have come across or enjoyed, but are nonetheless highly rated. I think this is a natural result of the system as designed. There may be some value in understanding what other people like, even if you don't enjoy it yourself. Personally, I wouldn't buy any (or even check out from the library) 95% of the books it listed for me, but I think that means it is working correctly. I guess one issue is that it I really like non-fiction, so I get mostly fiction or personal memoirs -- it's a genre thing that has nothing to do with viewpoint.
pc86 6y ago
Wow this is some impressive "you should open your mind, provided you disagree with me." The whole point of this is to show you stuff you wouldn't normally read. You don't need to have "intellectual respect" (whatever that means) for a topic to read a book about it.
buzzerbetrayed 6y ago
I really hope the irony of this comment isn’t lost on you
- diego_moita 6y ago
  Of course not. The irony is intentional. Unlike what most people do in social networks I am not preaching or doing advocacy for a belief. I am just expressing my confusion and contradiction.

Siira 6y ago

You need to find opposing views that are just on the edge of your current comfort zone, I think. Of course, the whole exercise of having an open mind doesn’t reward one that much, as having a sound worldview has diminishing returns.

diego_moita 6y ago
Yeah, this is very meaningful. I agree with you. Usually, when you exercise careful judgement and have a broad culture you don't jump from one belief system to it's complete opposite. Usually you slowly evolve it along time.

lambdatronics 6y ago

The OP states elsewhere in the discussion: >I made a tool that allows you to discover what books you are least likely to have come across or enjoyed, but are nonetheless highly rated. I think this is a natural result of the system as designed. There may be some value in understanding what other people like, even if you don't enjoy it yourself. Personally, I wouldn't buy any (or even check out from the library) 95% of the books it listed for me, but I think that means it is working correctly. I guess one issue is that it I really like non-fiction, so I get mostly fiction or personal memoirs -- it's a genre thing that has nothing to do with viewpoint.

pc86 6y ago

Wow this is some impressive "you should open your mind, provided you disagree with me." The whole point of this is to show you stuff you wouldn't normally read. You don't need to have "intellectual respect" (whatever that means) for a topic to read a book about it.

buzzerbetrayed 6y ago

I really hope the irony of this comment isn’t lost on you

diego_moita 6y ago
Of course not. The irony is intentional. Unlike what most people do in social networks I am not preaching or doing advocacy for a belief. I am just expressing my confusion and contradiction.