How Open Minded Are You ?

[Catherine Sarah]

Thanks Zenda,

Nice thread. I'd have to say, I'm probably that opened minded, it's a wonder I don't get a cold. 

Agree on all fronts without the least hesitiation. It's been an inground attitude for a very long time.

Be well.

Huggs
Catherine

[crazy at the coast]

well 8 months ago i was a conservative christian, and just look at me now, I am beginning to be so open minded that you can probably rent space up here now.

Oh, I have no doubt about that.

[crazy at the coast]

I am not that open minded, but many of my opinions are subject to change with learning, listening and experience.

[RedFox]

Good observations, Zenda, but let me play the "Devil's Advocate" here.

The "open-minded" are open to suggestion, thus easily manipulated.  They can be gullible and naive.

The open-minded can lack the attributes of reason and rationality, and become incapable of making a judgement or decision.  They fall into fads and for whims and can be conned.  All of which can be counter-productive.

Certainly, being close-minded or narrow-minded can be counter-productive as well.  But irrationality serves no good purpose.

Jamie, I think you're confusing open-minded with simple-minded.

For me meaning-open minded means listening to an idiot speak or try to sell me something before I kick him/her to the curb.  I'm never convinced I'm right on everything - which is why I'm willing to listen to other's opinions.  But I use reason, logic, and intuition to determine if their thoughts or opinions are more valid than mine.

Open-minded and gullible is a bad combination.  Open-minded and skeptical (and intelligent) is not so bad.

[Kevin Peña]

I'm willing to listen, but I have the final decision in whether or not I buy into something. 

I never take anything at face value. I must always investigate.

[Pica Pica]

As the song says, 'My mind aint so open that anything can crawl right in'.

[Sephirah]

I don't know how open minded I am. That's usually something I leave to others to ascertain after knowing me.

I do try to be open hearted though. Many times I listen to my heart over my head.

[hazel]

When I think of the term "open minded" the definition that springs to mind is that of being able to entertain an idea without  accepting it (pilfered that line from Mark Twain), that and the corollary, being open to revision once you have accepted or rejected something already.  I guess when you take that attitude and map it onto social issues it generally means a more open and therefore friendly dialogue than a dogmatic stance could accommodate, and for that reason perhaps open minded becomes synonymous with tolerance?

By that definition I am open minded at least in principle, but in practice, being partial to the skeptical and materialistic interpretation of the world, I do tend to dismiss the more supernatural ideas faster than perhaps I should. When I hear someone talk of ghost's for example, I just sort of turn off before I've actually given them a fair hearing.

[Elspeth]

well 8 months ago i was a conservative christian, and just look at me now, I am beginning to be so open minded that you can probably rent space up here now.

This is one of the things that seems to counteract in at least some individual cases the presumption that we are (as a group) open minded.

On the one hand, I was raised in a rather repressive sect of heretical Christianity (the Mormons). I took on a lot of assumptions from that, many of which took me a long time to recognize.

On the other hand, someone I was friends with when I was in the Army, starting language school commented to me that I was the most circumspect person he'd ever met. I do tend to personally look at things from many different points of view before trying to reach any conclusions, and I often find making judgment calls almost impossible unless I do it by accessing some semi-random means of making decisions. On the Myers-Briggs scale I come out fairly unambiguously as an INFP - Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling Perceiver -- a tiny group that's usually seen as almost rigidly idealistic -- the only thing you can do to upset me  is to betray your own principles and core feelings or intuitions. And when pressured to betray mine, I can become extremely stubborn and/or dysfunctional... that aspect might have a lot to do with how I am trans, but I'm not sure the Perceiving (as opposed to Judging) trait has anything to do with my being trans, it's just a core part of my overall personality.

I've run into many transfolk who come out on the other side of the spectrum and can be very judgemental, which to me often excludes open-mindedness, at least to some degree.

I'll have a hard time reaching any final conclusions on this without a much, much larger sample and some way to randomize it.

[John Smith]

I'm easily annoyed by all kinds of things, and would rather say my mind is ajar. I have plenty of prejudices, but try to be conscious of them and not let them influence how I treat others.

[Kevin Peña]

I'm easily annoyed by all kinds of things

Same here. For example, I get annoyed when people try to speak for me.

"(Attend your high school graduation//Have kids//Don't get a sex change). If you don't listen to us, you'll regret it."

Says who? You're not in my head nor do you know what goes on in there.

I would honestly like one person, for once, to give me an argument for any of those points besides them being the "socially acceptable" thing to do.

[Anatta]

Jamie, I think you're confusing open-minded with simple-minded.


Open-minded and gullible is a bad combination.  Open-minded and skeptical (and intelligent) is not so bad.

Kia Ora SageFox,

I cracked up when I read the first line 

The bottom line gets a thumbs up...That's a good way to view it !

Metta Zenda

[BunnyBee]

How can you not be open minded when you're an airhead?  Yes, I'm open minded.  You can hear the air whooshing around in there .

[Anatta]

Good observations, Zenda, but let me play the "Devil's Advocate" here.

The "open-minded" are open to suggestion, thus easily manipulated.  They can be gullible and naive.

The open-minded can lack the attributes of reason and rationality, and become incapable of making a judgement or decision.  They fall into fads and for whims and can be conned.  All of which can be counter-productive.

Certainly, being close-minded or narrow-minded can be counter-productive as well.  But irrationality serves no good purpose.

Kia Ora Jamie,

I see where you are coming from...There are gullible people whose minds are open to suggestion, but as SageFox pointed out these people would more suit the term 'simple' minded...

However I guess the term Open Minded is wide open to definition, for example an open mind= allowing all kinds of crap to enter without the means to filter the information properly, but I like to think a more common approach would be that an open minded person would listen to the thoughts of others, chew it over, and if it doesn't taste right, [being too irrational= hard to chew], 'politely' spit it back out  - A simple minded person, more gullible by nature, is more likely to swallow it hook, line and sinker...

Metta Zenda

[peky]

hey, Zenda,

Please give us an operational definition of "open minded"

[Anatta]

hey, Zenda,

Please give us an operational definition of "open minded"

Kia Ora Peky,

Because you asked so nicely ...." Having an unprejudiced mind that's open to new ideas, arguments, etc[ but not so open that ones brains fall out], also one that's characterised by liberal views.= Broad minded "

Metta Zenda

[Jamie D]

Kia Ora Jamie,

I see where you are coming from...There are gullible people whose minds are open to suggestion, but as SageFox pointed out these people would more suit the term 'simple' minded...

However I guess the term Open Minded is wide open to definition, for example an open mind= allowing all kinds of crap to enter without the means to filter the information properly, but I like to think a more common approach would be that an open minded person would listen to the thoughts of others, chew it over, and if it doesn't taste right, [being too irrational= hard to chew], 'politely' spit it back out  - A simple minded person, more gullible by nature, is more likely to swallow it hook, line and sinker...

Metta Zenda

Thank you, Zenda.  I believe some posters missed that I was playing the role of "Devil's Advocate."  That term comes from the Catholic Church practice of giving an official the role of making skeptical arguments against the proposed sainthood of some person.

In debate, a devils advocate punches hole in the proposition, "to engage others in an argumentative discussion process."

[summer710]

How open-minded am I - I'm unsure.

To me, being 'open-minded' intones the capacity to listen to the opposition's cogent, civil, and coherent viewpoints and arguments, and upon hearing such arguments, be able to make a rational, thought-out decision and action upon such argument (free of anger, fear, emotion, or euphoria).

Open-mindedness is a two-way street - just as members in our community argue and advocate for certain laws, rights, and societal acceptances, obviously, those on the 'other side' will also have their own viewpoints RE: why our community is in the wrong.  Reasoned discourse between both sides is necessary, without negative name-flinging, anger, or devolvement into childish, boorish arguments and behavior.  One cannot consider oneself 'open-minded' if one is merely angry and  boorish when one doesn't get one's way. 

As this online forum declares - "We stand at the crossroads of gender balanced on the sharp edge of a knife."  This is a difficult journey for many, with the potential for a precipitous fall; we must walk this journey fully cognizant of ALL viewpoints on the matter of transgenderism, and be able to accept - or decline - through reason and intellect, such viewpoints with maturity and civility.  That (to me) would be open-mindedness. [This concept applies to issues other than LGBT issues, as well]

[peky]

How open-minded am I - I'm unsure.

To me, being 'open-minded' intones the capacity to listen to the opposition's cogent, civil, and coherent viewpoints and arguments, and upon hearing such arguments, be able to make a rational, thought-out decision and action upon such argument (free of anger, fear, emotion, or euphoria).

Open-mindedness is a two-way street - just as members in our community argue and advocate for certain laws, rights, and societal acceptances, obviously, those on the 'other side' will also have their own viewpoints RE: why our community is in the wrong.  Reasoned discourse between both sides is necessary, without negative name-flinging, anger, or devolvement into childish, boorish arguments and behavior.  One cannot consider oneself 'open-minded' if one is merely angry and  boorish when one doesn't get one's way. 

As this online forum declares - "We stand at the crossroads of gender balanced on the sharp edge of a knife."  This is a difficult journey for many, with the potential for a precipitous fall; we must walk this journey fully cognizant of ALL viewpoints on the matter of transgenderism, and be able to accept - or decline - through reason and intellect, such viewpoints with maturity and civility.  That (to me) would be open-mindedness. [This concept applies to issues other than LGBT issues, as well]

Well said Girl! This^^ would be a wonderful way to proceed provided everybody is rational and emotionally mature. Regretfully that is not the case, and so the best we can do is maintain a dialog with those kindred spirit

[Anatta]

Well said Girl! This^^ would be a wonderful way to proceed provided everybody is rational and emotionally mature. Regretfully that is not the case, and so the best we can do is maintain a dialog with those kindred spirit

Kia Ora Peky,

Very good point, when dealing with a person whose opinions [re-trans-people] are 'faith based', how can one maintain an open meaningful dialog ... When it's a mere mortal verses the supernatural...

I have an open mind, when it comes to a person's faith, but not so open that my brain falls out !

Metta Zenda