Why open minded is important

Benefits of Open-Mindedness Research suggests the following benefits of open-mindedness: Open-minded, cognitively complex individuals are less swayed by singular events and are more resistant to suggestion and manipulation. Open-minded individuals are better able to predict how others will behave and are less prone to projection. Open-minded individuals tend to score better on tests of general cognitive ability like the SAT or an IQ test.

In addition to the myside bias described above, here are three other cognitive tendencies that work against open-minded thinking: 1 Selective Exposure We maintain our beliefs by selectively exposing ourselves to information that we already know is likely to support those beliefs. What Encourages Open-Mindedness? Exercises to Build Open-Mindedness In my readings, I did not uncover any open-mindedness interventions.

She came up with three exercises for building open-mindedness which I think are definitely worth trying: Select an emotionally charged, debatable topic e. Write five valid reasons to support this view.

While you are listening, try to avoid the cognitive error of polarization described above. Remember a time when you were wronged by someone in the past. Generate three plausible reasons why this person inadvertently or intentionally wronged you. This one is for parents: Think of a topic that you consistently argue about with your teen or grown child. Now, take their position and think of 3 substantial reasons why their point of view is valid.

This could also be done with spouses or any family members for that matter! Recommended Readings Baron, J. Thinking and deciding 3rd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press. Kuhn, D. The skills of argument. Learning and experiencing new realms of understanding is so freeing, and it is enjoyable to expand your horizons.

Just think of the peace and friendship that acceptance and open-mindedness can bring you. When you are not barred by the walls in your mind, you will be so much happier. If you stay stuck in your little narrow-minded box, think of all of the worldly things you will miss out on.

Burst out of that box and flourish in the world around you! This will help resolve conflicts or avoid them altogether, and it will be easier to talk things out with whomever the disagreement is linked to. By listening instead and waiting until you have proper evidence before attacking, you will gain more insight into situations and the world around you.

It comes with the territory, really. If you open your mind to accept new things and learn about them, your knowledge will grow, as will your understanding of the world.

Share your personality, experiences, and culture with others to foster an amiable community of open-minded people. Feel comfortable in your own body as you learn to feel comfortable with others.

Being open-minded makes it easier to feel less judged when you stop judging people yourself. By letting your walls down and accepting others, your pride and arrogance fall to the wayside. Just because you are different does not make you any less than someone else. That knowledge can help you avoid hurt and allows mean and narrow-minded comments to slide right off your back. Who was I to judge someone on how they live their life?

Who was I to assume that everybody had been brought up under similar influences and values as I had? Who was I to create a rigid definition of Normal, and then classify people who obscured from my own personal definition as Abnormal?

Who was I? I am somebody with my own Normal. However, the difference between High School Me and College Me is that College Me has learned how to understand where people are coming from. College Me realizes that people have grown up under a wide variety of circumstances that have influenced their choices in entertainment, movies, music, beliefs, values, and more. At this point, College Me has been exercising her open-mindedness muscle for the past two and a half years, and is confident that you can now probably talk to her about anything in the world and she will listen attentively and openly.

Being open-minded is relaxing. But you must remember that an unexercised open-mindedness muscle is not your fault. It is not naivety. It is not ignorance. We are a product of our environment and of the interactions we have with people around us, so growing up in the same kind of place for our entire lives would certainly put us around the same kind of people who would influence us similarly every day.

This is why it takes practice. Open-mindedness does not mean that you must change who you are. And, sometimes, open-mindedness means that no final verdict can ever exist. The beauty of open-mindedness is that it allows you to find out so many new things and soak in so many new perspectives. It allows you to try on many definitions of Normal until you settle into one that feels right for you — and nobody else. These words are for us all.