In some cultures, it’s common to meet people who are very closed-minded. Sometimes it’s even more common among intelligent people and academics, because they’ve been taught for many years “the correct way” to think about things.
Unfortunately, this habit can have grave effects for some, going further and further into their way of thinking, finding themselves depressed or anxious, and unable to try new things.
When we stumble on a new idea, we might react with enthusiasm, or simply say “that’s interesting”, or we might have a knee-jerk reaction saying “That’s absurd! I can’t believe it!” Most of us have all of these reactions at certain times.
A truly open-minded person will go deeper, regardless of the initial reaction, trying to see what is really going on with this idea. That person might return to their initial reaction after learning more, but they are still willing to explore.
When this person gets old, they maintain a type of childish nature, still looking at the world with open eyes. Getting to 70 years of age, people say to them “I could have sworn you were 15 years younger!” Their mind is still flexible, still willing to consider.
Content warning: suicide
For the transcript: Willing to Consider A Beautiful Thought
