What do we mean when we speak of open- and close-mindedness?
If someone never listens to what they don't want to hear, it's called having a closed mind.
On the other end of the spectrum, some people will believe anything they see or hear. Some even want to be told what to believe. Is this open-mindedness? I don't think so. I think it's just a closed mind of a different form--one that is closed to reason.
I think it all comes down to "mind." To me, the greatest gift of the mind is the ability to discriminate. You get information... you reason about it... you assign it value... you make decisions based on what you think about it. Give it an exercise. That's what a mind is for, isn't it?
Whether you believe everything or nothing... they seem the same to me. It's the middle ground that's interesting!
You either use that wonderful thing called your mind... or you don't.
-- Daniel Terhorst |