There is a lot of tension in the United States right now and ultimately within people. I don’t have to expand on that statement – if you pay attention you’ll see it. And in 2017, open-mindedness is the #1 character trait that people got to cultivate. And really, regardless of the current situation, open-mindedness is the most attractive/valuable character trait a person can have. Disagree? Well, maybe I’m wrong.
“I may be wrong”
How often do you hear people say that – For real? The consciousness to understand that your opinions/thoughts of all kinds may be misguided, ignorant, or wrong – Is severely lacking among so many people … It’s ridiculous.
Though I’m more liberal/left in my political views, I find myself watching Youtube clips from “the other side” because I want to listen to their viewpoint. And not in a fake, “I’ll listen, but only to critique your views & prove myself right” way but in a way of understanding. I genuinely look for opportunities to be wrong or to adjust my mental model based off new information/perspectives – whereas a lot of people look for ways they can be proven right. But through this lens, you don’t add anything to your view – Your mind stays boxed in.
It’s silly to me how close-minded people can be. You see it in the media or news – people talking over one another, people having that “I can’t wait till you stop talking so I can prove you ignorant” look on their face, and in the end – Nobody is understood because nobody is understanding. Imma’ repeat that because you might have missed it – Nobody’s understood because nobody is understanding! It’s a cycle – Most people will only understand when they’re understood first, but some side’s got to take that leap of understanding first. Want to be understood? Understand first.
An open-minded attitude is about being open to (potentially) close-minded people and ideas – and if you’re secure with your self/values, you’re not concerned about being negatively influenced. In the journey to become the strongest version of yourself, you must be open to alter yourself & your opinions because everybody is developing mentally. Don’t restrict that development by being close-minded.
A final note is that a part of being open-minded is recognizing that you can be more open-minded & where you are potentially close-minded. For me, I have unexpected areas of close-mindedness & internal biases (May touch on in a future post). We’re all works in progress – nobody is really 100% open-minded: It’s just a level you aspire to reach because to preview my next post, open-mindedness leads to developing inner peace and grounded energy.
*** Here’s a lengthy supplement video to this post explaining what open-mindedness looks like: