The Closed Mind Why does it close, and how does it open?
Category: News & Politics
Via: 321steve • 3 years ago • 25 commentsBy: Reviewed by Jessica Schrader
The Closed Mind Why does it close, and how does it open?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Each of us knows at least one person whom we would say has a closed mind. Bias , bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia , and homophobia are all examples of closed-mindedness. When one’s mind is made up, there is no changing it.
The closed-minded person is not allowed to question her own beliefs. Such questioning allows a person to center on her own authentic self and to come to terms with—not what she has been taught to believe—but what she actually believes.
Original thought is a thought or belief that comes from the center of our essential being. Many, many of our thoughts originate externally.
Original thinking allows us to fly free from the constraints of our own bias, see through it to creative, problem-solving beliefs
On the other hand, it is fear that generally keeps the mind closed. Often the fear is based on the idea that one must be right in order to be OK. It is not safe to be wrong. Therefore, once an idea is grasped, one must hold on to it, for fear that to question it might prove one wrong and thus unsafe.
Unfortunately, closed-minded people can take positions of power over others—thus training others to likewise have closed minds. Parents who have closed minds often train their children to believe as they believe.
There are many who operate out of a closed mind as a coping mechanism for a deep-seated fear that they cannot even access, because to explore their own minds might be too frightening. The open-minded person is willing to explore his own mind and even find that he’s been wrong about something and self-correct. The closed-minded person is unwilling to do this. Being wrong is simply not safe.
For this reason, trying to talk the closed-minded person out of a closed mind is not likely to succeed. Arguing, trying to prove your points, these are methods that are likely to fail. Rather, facilitating a safe zone for this person, in which safety is the primary interactive tool, might mean that the closed-minded person will ever so slowly begin to explore his own mind.
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Thank you, Steve
I'm so glad that my parents taught me to question everything. I'm teaching my children to question... and RESEARCH to form their own opinions.
All taught behaviors. I told my husband's [former, but long-term] friend at the time to leave my house or shut his damn racist mouth. I told him that this house doesn't teach such things or spew hatred. I've been the one that's been discriminated against before... it's not a pleasant feeling and it's quite apparent to the person being discriminated against, even if it's subtle. I have worked in the automotive industry in some way, shape or form since I was 16. I went to school to be an aircraft mechanic at 18. I went back to school in my 30s to get a BBA in Operations Management. All of the aforementioned are what I call "man-land" career paths.
While it's noticeably decreased, there is still a lot of sexism that exists. MY birth-giving parents never made any remarks about when my husband was staying at home and I was working. However, my stepdad, my stepmom, and my husband's mom all had something to say about me being the financial provider while my husband stayed home. I told all of them to piss off in one way or another. My husband's mother stayed home. My mother stayed home most of my life. My stepmom stayed at home after marrying my dad. I asked each one of them, why is it different if I'm working rather than my husband? NONE of them had any kind of real answer. One was a vile answer of, "Fuck you."
Ironically, my husband's father never said anything about our situation, yet he told my mother in law that she was going to stay home after they got married. My understanding is that I've been the only one that's gotten in his face about certain things, yet he really likes and respects me. I still can't figure it out... I'm the complete opposite of my mother in law in personality; I'm aggressive rather than passive and that trickles down in just about all other aspects that make us different. My thought is this; whoever can financially provide for the family the best, should maintain stability as much as possible... it doesn't matter which one or if it's both together. I have the ability to make more money based on my knowledge and education. So to me, it stands to reason that my husband shouldn't have to kill himself working 80 hours a week just to say that he makes equal or more money... it's stupid.
Sorry... I got a bit off track.
I have a therapist, a black woman. Her and I have awesome conversations. She's even said occasionally that before talking to me, she was losing faith in humanity. Her and I have had several discussions about the race issues from the past and present. I ask her questions to get her perspective [because the perspective IS different from mine] and she KNOWS that I'm doing so out of respect and curiosity. I've learned that asking questions helps in nearly any situation. I met a transsexual [m to f] and I asked if I could ask her some questions and warned that some would be rather detailed. She said, "I would always rather have questions than assumptions." I learned a lot from her. I've asked questions about Islam from my Lebanese Muslim friends. Later, my daughter's friend [he's such a sweetie] was part of our Cedar Point group [I was a chaperone for a school function], he's Muslim [I didn't know that until after this particular trip] and when he and I were looking for something to eat, he said, "I can't eat there," after I suggested a place. I said, "Oh. You need Kosher / Halaal. Got it." He was surprised that I knew what that was and why he couldn't eat at a certain place. Asking questions is a big deal. If people are taught not to ask questions, those people won't learn important things.
Aggressive or assertive ?
Passive usually has aggressive attached. Passive/aggressive
Assertive is saying and standing up for what you need and want. While still respecting others.
From your brief descriptions, I'm thinking ... assertive.
So true !!
Yes, I suppose you're right. Assertive is a better word.
At least perhaps more accurate.
I broke free from a closed minded family, race and religion being the biggest culprits. I admit today I am still closed minded when it comes to certain things, like a woman's right to choose.
Yeah, I'm pretty set on women's right to choose.
I think there are people who NEED the advice to stay open minded, because if they are not reminded they will revert back into group think, or the way they were taught by tradition. But there are other people who are naturally more open to uncomfortable or offbeat ideas and never really need to worry about being closed minded.
I think that being closed minded affects all aspects of a person's life. It can be taught as in from how you grew up, or innate. I think that most people who are closed minded are comfortable with their thoughts and find huge discomfort in challenging them. It's kind of like refusing to go get a second opinion from a doctor, even though everyone around you tells you to.
I was lucky enough not to grow up in closed minded family. My parents often spared over issues and encouraged us to form our own opinions. Even as a child, I was interested in reading up and watching the news on issues that were going on. I have changed my mind many times as an adult when presented with good arguments and discussed in a respectful manner.
Most of my family is still closed minded. At my niece's wedding many moons ago there was a young man that she and I worked with. He happened to be a gay black man. He sat with my family at the church and the reception My daughter who was part of the wedding party dragged him onto the dance floor. They were having a great time. My mother pulled me aside to voice her displeasure over that & I said "She's not dating him, he's gay". Her snippy reply was "We all know that, but it doesn't look right." I told her it looked fine to me.
My son's best friend is a transgender black woman. I was soooo tempted to have a picture taken and send it out as our Christmas card introducing her as our new daughter.
LOL I have that same sense of humor, it's gotten me in trouble more than once.
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!
I agree, Better to learn I'm wrong than to be wrong the rest of my life.
Well oiled with self-deprecating humor, the time to deconstruct what you believe in arrives before you have faith in it. (I'm just trying to explain to myself why I have 32 dictionaries [yes, I collect them] and only 1 very dusty bible.)
My views are pretty much locked in my old age....but they can be modified by new evidence and experiences.
Yea age does seem to help form our views of certain ideas of right and wrong.
And yes IMO: Intelligent people fight the urge to not allow new evidence and facts to keep them from seeing Reality even if it isn't the Reality they once thought it was.
Personally IF I am wrong on something I'd rather know what I thought was wrong instead of being wrong the rest of my life about something.
But I've met some folks that no matter what evidence shows that they are mistaken will NOT ever acknowledge they could actually have something wrong.
I feel for them. But wrong is wrong no matter what a person wants. Reality is Reality.
And yes an orange really IS an orange !
I'm very thankful my parents taught me the value of critical thinking and that principles are to be applied across the board and not situationally. Being open to data, making sure to understanding the why behind a number or statistic rather than unknowingly brandishing it go a long way, acknowledging reality and employing Occam's razor go a long way to keeping one open minded and constantly assessing one's position.
The thing I've found most surprising is how attached people get to political narratives and the lengths they'll go to cling to their position. Watching people literally ignoring data, disingenuously using statistics and rejecting common sense and their own eyes to cling to some preconceived talking point always kind of shocks me. Some of the discussions I've been I wouldn't have believed possible.
Proven here daily !
Like in that thread where all your comments were deleted? Just now?
Mine too!
Talk about closed minds.
If you disagree with certain folks here, they delete your comments.
Thankfully we have options !