Having an open mind is a difficult challenge because it requires such flexibility. There is no point in attempting it unless you really want to discover truths. Even then you won't discover Truth, as one cohesive block. It is more like a puzzle of pieces you fit together.
By the time that we reach adulthood we have each formed a "world view". That means we have some kind of idea of what everything means to us, who we are and what we think. In this world view we have a sort of vital construct piece called a "key stone".
As with a building, if the key stone is knocked out of place the entire structure gets demolished and causes confusion while we try to make sense of things again.
Because people don't want the hassle of that happening, almost everyone resists even considering any ideas which could have such an effect.
Despite the necessity for a world view, there is still room for flexibility if you are the kind of person who hates having rigidity of belief.
Rigid belief is like being stuck in a box and not wanting to get out. A truly open mind feels like the open ocean - full of freedom, space and adventure.
An open mind will still have a world view based on what seems to be true in all probability. However, its flexibility means that it is ready to change in the face of convincing evidence.
Science is supposed to be open minded (the opposite of religion, which is closed minded, dogmatic belief). Scientists are human however, so (although a good scientist is open minded) they often get blinkered by ideas that they resist changing.
A fact, in science, is something that has a vanishingly small probability of being wrong. With theories there are also varying probabilities of accuracy.
(Sometimes in science something is only called a theory because of an inability to test it under laborotory conditions, even though evidence is overwhelmingly in its favour).
To the open mind, nothing is 100% certain. It is only as convincing as logic and evidence would lead a person to conclude. It is all about probability.
Because open minded people are less certain of things than closed minded people, it may seem that they could be easily manipulated and be gullible. Depending on someone's intelligence this is a danger. However, the closed minded person is at even more risk of being gullible because he has picked up a world view which was mostly handed complete to him. (A religion, for example,or a sheep-like acceptance of the prevalent view pushed by the media). The gullability of such people is shocking. It is like their world view was programmed into them by someone else. Yet this is the normal human condition.
Only a small fraction of a percent of people can be, or wish to be, open minded. They are not discouraged by not fitting in with society's norms. Open minded people are persecuted by the powers (governments, the Church, dictators, etc) who try to control the minds of the masses.
The main benefit to the individual of having an open mind is perhaps the possibility to see dangers and try to avoid or stop them. (A bit useless when everyone else around is singing "It's not happening, it's not happening!" and hating the person trying to wake them up.)
Then there's the benefit of not being decieved by mind trickery into unknowingly serving those who want to use and exploit you.
Then again, there is the drawback of being a heretic, and not being liked for it.
HO HUM!
F. Nietzche says:
Knowledge is always interpretation. "Great intellects are skeptics". Faith means not wanting to know what is true. Truth does not give enjoyment and comfortable feelings - more often it is the reverse.
Believing is decadent and a sign of a broken will to live. "Who alone has reason to lie himself out of actuality? He who suffers from it." "Truth has never yet clung to the arm of an inflexible man."
By the time that we reach adulthood we have each formed a "world view". That means we have some kind of idea of what everything means to us, who we are and what we think. In this world view we have a sort of vital construct piece called a "key stone".
As with a building, if the key stone is knocked out of place the entire structure gets demolished and causes confusion while we try to make sense of things again.
Because people don't want the hassle of that happening, almost everyone resists even considering any ideas which could have such an effect.
Despite the necessity for a world view, there is still room for flexibility if you are the kind of person who hates having rigidity of belief.
Rigid belief is like being stuck in a box and not wanting to get out. A truly open mind feels like the open ocean - full of freedom, space and adventure.
An open mind will still have a world view based on what seems to be true in all probability. However, its flexibility means that it is ready to change in the face of convincing evidence.
Science is supposed to be open minded (the opposite of religion, which is closed minded, dogmatic belief). Scientists are human however, so (although a good scientist is open minded) they often get blinkered by ideas that they resist changing.
A fact, in science, is something that has a vanishingly small probability of being wrong. With theories there are also varying probabilities of accuracy.
(Sometimes in science something is only called a theory because of an inability to test it under laborotory conditions, even though evidence is overwhelmingly in its favour).
To the open mind, nothing is 100% certain. It is only as convincing as logic and evidence would lead a person to conclude. It is all about probability.
Because open minded people are less certain of things than closed minded people, it may seem that they could be easily manipulated and be gullible. Depending on someone's intelligence this is a danger. However, the closed minded person is at even more risk of being gullible because he has picked up a world view which was mostly handed complete to him. (A religion, for example,or a sheep-like acceptance of the prevalent view pushed by the media). The gullability of such people is shocking. It is like their world view was programmed into them by someone else. Yet this is the normal human condition.
Only a small fraction of a percent of people can be, or wish to be, open minded. They are not discouraged by not fitting in with society's norms. Open minded people are persecuted by the powers (governments, the Church, dictators, etc) who try to control the minds of the masses.
The main benefit to the individual of having an open mind is perhaps the possibility to see dangers and try to avoid or stop them. (A bit useless when everyone else around is singing "It's not happening, it's not happening!" and hating the person trying to wake them up.)
Then there's the benefit of not being decieved by mind trickery into unknowingly serving those who want to use and exploit you.
Then again, there is the drawback of being a heretic, and not being liked for it.
HO HUM!
F. Nietzche says:
Knowledge is always interpretation. "Great intellects are skeptics". Faith means not wanting to know what is true. Truth does not give enjoyment and comfortable feelings - more often it is the reverse.
Believing is decadent and a sign of a broken will to live. "Who alone has reason to lie himself out of actuality? He who suffers from it." "Truth has never yet clung to the arm of an inflexible man."
Going with the topic here, I think I am still very much open minded though this issue of Truth and the understanding that "Truth isn't always reassuring", has me sort of looking in the other direction.
