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Being actively open-minded. I wonder why some people are like that and others not. I've met people like that from different cultures and backgrounds and I've si

Being actively open-minded. I wonder why some people are like that and others not. I've met people like that from different cultures and backgrounds and I've similarly met their opposites. It doesn't seem like cultural and educational background is a factor. Even the article contrasts two such personalities with similar backgrounds but that's just good storytelling.

joosters 12y ago
I wonder if it is possible to train yourself to be open-minded, or even to spot if you aren't open-minded. After all, while it is easy to spot open or closed-mindedness in others, I expect that almost everyone thinks that they are open-minded.
- madaxe_again 12y ago
  If you're close-minded, you're not going to be conscious of it - that's the nature of the beast. You can't force someone's mind open, as all you're doing then is teaching them to be close-minded with a different set of axioms that you've behooved upon them. As to yourself - it's hard to say, as having any objective view of self is challenging to say the least. I like to think I'm extremely open-minded, but I might be wrong.
- agumonkey 12y ago
  I'm close-minded, emotionally, I'm wired to enjoy knowing in advance (anxious personality). Until I realize that I was very wrong and could enjoy discovering things that were oblivious to me. I'm still close-minded but headed in the opposite direction now.
- kristofferR 12y ago
  Research seems to suggest that psilocybin (the drug that makes magic mushrooms "magic") permanently increases open-mindedness [1][2], so that's one "easy" way to do it. There's also a lot you can do consciously in daily life. By deciding to be more open-minded through constantly working to really understand why the people you disagree with (no matter if it's serious topics like religion, politics, morals, ideology or more trivial topics like tastes and interests) think the way they do it's almost impossible to not end up more open-minded. [1] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beautiful-minds/201110/psychedelics-open-the-mind http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beautiful-minds/201110/p... [2] http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/3/5869465/scientists-figured-out-how-shrooms-open-your-mind http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/3/5869465/scientists-figured-...
madaxe_again 12y ago
I think cultural and educational background is a factor, but not in the fashion of "persons who had an education of X type in culture Y have superior prescience", but rather "persons who had education experiences of X, Y, Z, and developed in cultures A, B, C, D, Q, R have superior prescience", as having a broader gamut of experiences to draw from allows you to eliminate many biases from which you'd otherwise suffer.
protonfish 12y ago
Nobody seems to talk about the advantages of being stubborn and close-minded. The sad truth is we live in an environment where being right is less advantageous than cheerleading those in power. When the right answer contradicts group think or whatever your biggest bully (boss, religious leader, local warlord) is saying, you will be punished. Hopefully it will only be shaming as "not a team player" or "cynical." God forbid you are actually right - then you could be in real trouble. If people are rewarded for open-minded and accurate thinking then they will start doing it. I can't see that ever happening.

joosters 12y ago

I wonder if it is possible to train yourself to be open-minded, or even to spot if you aren't open-minded. After all, while it is easy to spot open or closed-mindedness in others, I expect that almost everyone thinks that they are open-minded.

madaxe_again 12y ago
If you're close-minded, you're not going to be conscious of it - that's the nature of the beast. You can't force someone's mind open, as all you're doing then is teaching them to be close-minded with a different set of axioms that you've behooved upon them. As to yourself - it's hard to say, as having any objective view of self is challenging to say the least. I like to think I'm extremely open-minded, but I might be wrong.
agumonkey 12y ago
I'm close-minded, emotionally, I'm wired to enjoy knowing in advance (anxious personality). Until I realize that I was very wrong and could enjoy discovering things that were oblivious to me. I'm still close-minded but headed in the opposite direction now.
kristofferR 12y ago
Research seems to suggest that psilocybin (the drug that makes magic mushrooms "magic") permanently increases open-mindedness [1][2], so that's one "easy" way to do it. There's also a lot you can do consciously in daily life. By deciding to be more open-minded through constantly working to really understand why the people you disagree with (no matter if it's serious topics like religion, politics, morals, ideology or more trivial topics like tastes and interests) think the way they do it's almost impossible to not end up more open-minded. [1] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beautiful-minds/201110/psychedelics-open-the-mind http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beautiful-minds/201110/p... [2] http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/3/5869465/scientists-figured-out-how-shrooms-open-your-mind http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/3/5869465/scientists-figured-...

madaxe_again 12y ago

I think cultural and educational background is a factor, but not in the fashion of "persons who had an education of X type in culture Y have superior prescience", but rather "persons who had education experiences of X, Y, Z, and developed in cultures A, B, C, D, Q, R have superior prescience", as having a broader gamut of experiences to draw from allows you to eliminate many biases from which you'd otherwise suffer.

protonfish 12y ago

Nobody seems to talk about the advantages of being stubborn and close-minded. The sad truth is we live in an environment where being right is less advantageous than cheerleading those in power. When the right answer contradicts group think or whatever your biggest bully (boss, religious leader, local warlord) is saying, you will be punished. Hopefully it will only be shaming as "not a team player" or "cynical." God forbid you are actually right - then you could be in real trouble. If people are rewarded for open-minded and accurate thinking then they will start doing it. I can't see that ever happening.