The Power of an Open Mind

To have an open mind means to be willing to consider, entertain, and implement new and diverse concepts.

Being open-minded involves being receptive to various viewpoints, information, and ideas. It means being flexible and adaptive.

Cultivating an open mind is another valuable outcome of critical thinking and reasoning.

We live in a constantly changing world now more than ever. To keep up, we must be open to new experiences and new ways of thinking.

If we do not stay current, we will miss out on the wonderful technological advancements in the Internet, cell phones, digital photography, tablets, etc. Progress in these areas makes our lives easier and more interesting every day.

Open-minded people are willing to change their views when presented with new facts and evidence. Those who are not and are resistant to change will find life less rewarding and satisfying, not to mention dull.

If we limit ourselves to what we knew and were more comfortable with in the past, we will become increasingly frustrated and less able to navigate inevitable, ongoing global changes.

Indeed, society as a whole has changed dramatically over the last several years. We have become more liberal, accepting, and tolerant, and circumstances that were unacceptable years ago are now accepted.

If we choose to approach life in the same way day after day, as well as becoming bored and uninspired, we will reduce our intellectual aptitude, become less interesting to others, and put ourselves at risk for mental degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

If, on the other hand, we seek new ways of doing and looking at things, we will expand our intellectual capability, find life more exciting, and significantly broaden our experiences.

Being open-minded also helps us improve our problem-solving skills. First, it expands our ability to approach a problem in more than one way; second, it illuminates multiple, more expansive ways to solve the problem.

Undoubtedly, we achieve better solutions and outcomes when we have more options and possibilities.

People who are open-minded:

• Are more accepting of others and have fewer prejudices

• Are more optimistic and make the most of life

• Have less stress because they are more open to change

• Have better problem-solving skills

• Want to learn more, therefore are more interesting

• Are interested in the opinions of others

• Are not offended when challenged

• Admit when they are wrong and are willing to accept new information

• Are less influenced by arbitrary events and are more resistant to manipulation

The Benefits of Having an Open Mind

⇒You challenge yourself. You acquire greater insight and knowledge of the world around you by challenging yourself.

⇒You become mentally strong. Being open to new experiences and ideas makes you more secure, confident, and multi-dimensional.

⇒You don't fear making mistakes. With an open mind, you aren't afraid of being wrong and are more receptive to learning from your mistakes. Much personal growth takes place when you learn from mistakes.

⇒ Creativity flourishes. There is nothing like an open mind to unleash creativity. When you are open to possibilities, the sky's the limit.

⇒You improve your relationships and increase emotional intelligence. Open-mindedness makes you more empathetic, understanding and easy to get along with.

⇒You are and have more fun. Open-minded people are more open to humor and are not hampered by artificial constraints.

Ultimately, cultivating an open mind broadens our horizons, keeps our minds sharp, and helps us become more interesting people.

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." F. Scott Fitzgerald