Open Minded

Open Minded. What does that even mean?

When people say "he's close minded" it tends to mean, "he disagrees with me." But that's not closed minded, that's just someone that disagrees with you.

Or someone is closed minded means they hold conservative beliefs. That's a really common way I see it used. If someone holds beliefs that were created hundreds/thousands of years ago, well they must just be closed minded. Examples: Pro-Life, Against Marijuana, anti-Gay marriage. These people tend to be defined at closed minded. With no consideration on how they came to those decisions.

But a person who is pro gay marriage (myself) can absolutely be considered closed minded, and I think we lose touch with that idea.

A closed minded person is someone that does NOT care what you think. Or what anyone thinks, they know what they "know" and that's it. And let me just say that there are certain topics that I'm closed minded about. {GASP} I think gays should have equal rights. I think Marijuana should remain illegal. Those are things that I don't see my mind changing about anytime soon.

Yes I know being closed minded is considered a terrible thing. So a student in class raised the question, well what is the difference between being closed minded and having strong convictions? Well I think that's an excellent question. We respect people with strong convictions. Right?

I don't know. What I do know is that anyone that holds a set number of beliefs today, and in ten years haven't changed how they feel about any of those topics. That person has failed. Failed at hearing the other side, failed at questioning themselves, failed at being open minded.

Do you have to change your mind on everything to be open-minded? I don't think so. Is it ok to have a million great arguments for why your side is best? Of course. Are there a million reasons for why the other side is best? Yes. There always will be. Could one of those reasons be enough to change your mind? Not if you don't bother to hear it.

Life is way to long to have already made up our minds by the time we're twenty.

Just sayin