To be open minded is to be impartial, receptive, and tolerant. It is the willingness to consider ideas and opinions that are new or different to your own. This is an important quality to have in today’s age where we are constantly discovering different opinions, perspectives, and struggles. While it's natural for people to oppose ideas and opinions that are different from their own, having an open mind when facing differences fosters peace and unification.
To better understand what open-mindedness actually looks like in reality, let's look at the biggest differences between open and closed minded people:
Overall, open-minded people invite skepticism and discussion. They are interested in learning new things and discovering new perspectives, rather than enforcing their own views.
Now that you have a better understanding of open-mindedness, we will go through some ways to practice open-mindedness in your life.
Open-Mindedness in Conflict Resolution
Many conflicts exist because of the divisive focus on otherness, but having an open mind can unite people despite their differences. Here’s how you can be open minded in conflict resolution:
Be open to what the other person is saying and try to see the situation from their perspective.
Don’t focus on clashes in personality but instead on how differences can benefit a common goal.
Empathy and understanding are crucial because they avoid hostility and division, instead of focusing on the positive aspects of differences
Don’t shut someone down because their opinion is different from yours; hear them out and respect their voice.
Open-Mindedness Towards Yourself
To keep an open mind, you have to constantly work at it. Our minds naturally gravitate towards things we already know. We like to believe in ideas that affirm what we already think. In order to have an open mind, we need to move away from this instinctive behaviour and exercise mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment. A great way to practice mindfulness is through meditation. Here is a walkthrough of how to do an open mind meditation:
Sit cross legged or lay down, gently close the eyes
Keep a steady breathing pattern, breathe in for the same amount of time as you breathe out
Your mind will wander; accept any thoughts, sensations, emotions and memories with openness.
Don’t cling to or avoid any thoughts that arise, even if they are negative or uncomfortable. Just accept them, let them be and let them pass.
Anger, depression, grief, or frustration may find you, but you must accept these feelings and experience them without trying to run away.
The goal is full acceptance of whatever the present moment has to offer, without any particular directing of attention
Open-Mindedness in Life
Take these strategies described above and apply them to your daily life. Accept any thoughts, ideas, comments and experiences that life throws at you. Respect others and their differences, take what you can from their perspectives and listen to their opinion. Welcome the unfamiliar, don’t shy away from challenge or change.
Ultimately, leading an open-minded life will benefit your mind and soul. You will grow, learn, and appreciate more than you can imagine. All you have to do is be open to it.
References
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Meaning of open-mindedness in English. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/open-mindedness
Dalio, R. (n.d.) The Difference Between Open-Minded and Closed-Minded People. Farnam Street Media. https://fs.blog/2017/09/open-closed-minded/
Handel, S. (2011, March 12). Open Mind Meditation: Sit and Watch Everything That Enters Consciousness. The Emotion Machine. https://www.theemotionmachine.com/open-mind-meditation/
Hedges, K. (2015, December 17). How To Keep An Open Mind. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com /sites/work-in-progress/2015/12/17/how-to-keep-an-open-mind/#547cac60418e
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