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#8. Be open-minded. Being open-minded means that when you see a problem, you view the problem without pre-conceived notions about its solution. Of course, you can never be entirely open-minded, you have a frame of reference that you have developed over the years. This is why you need to be selective about what you receive and keep in your frame of reference.
Now, how does that translate to your life. What you read, what you see, who you associate with, what kind of upbringing you have, many other items make up the way you look at life. If you were Adolph Hitler when he was growing up, he associated with Anti-Zionist in Vienna, and read racist material he discussed items of interest with only certain groups of people. All this helps to form the man he became.
What can you do to help keep an open mind:
Listen to all sides of the issue before you, not only one particular side. After you have done this, select your position based on your judgement of the situation.
Read/watch neutral based books and shows. Read the Christian Science Monitor instead of race-based, conservative only books, liberal only books, try to see all sides so you can make a neutral based decision. Don't only listen to one side on the radio/tv. Watch all the news channels, not only one. Perhaps CNN news attempts to be the most neutral, however, they have been charged with liberal leanings. Foxnews is accused with being conservative in their leaning. What do these terms mean? Conservative is usually associatied with the Republican party. It represents the beliefs that free enterprise should not be burdened with governmental regulations or infringing on their profits. They are strict constitutionalist in interpreting the constitution. Liberal people usually try to keep an open mind. They feel that government is necessary to help the less fortunate and to watch over free enterprise for wrong doings. Of course there is much more to these, however, as you develop your frame of reference please read both sides of the issue. I am leaving this open for your questions. Please comment with your specific questions and I will try to answer them to your satisfaction.
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As I get older I find more and more the need to be open-minded about everything, in great part because as I get older I tend to become more set in my ways! It's a constant conflict within myself, but when I do try to be objective about things I tend to make much more logical and educated decisions. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. You are right, the older you get, the more secure you become in your values because you have had an opportunity to use them and have action that substantiated your choice. The next time the situation comes up, you become more ready to hear more sides. You have built your frame of reference with the value within and are shoring it up with new data. If the new data tears down what is within your frame of reference you investigate why and perhaps widen your frame of reference with the new data. It is a life-long search. The keys are several; 1) You can not be so set in your values that you can not take a new hit, 2) You can not be so set in your ways that you start "telling" other people that your way is the only way and dismissing people because they do not take your explanation that you think your evaluation of the situation is the best and "only" way.
ReplyDeleteThe voting process is a search for the Greater Good. What will work best for the greater population, not special interest groups, or politicians. That is where the American population is at right now. They are fed up with all incumbents in Congress. The people sent their politicans to write legislation that would help everyone. What has been going on in Congress is a Republican party that has no interest in sharing "their ideas" to be put into a Democratically passed piece of reform legislation, they have become the party of "No". Democrats are the majority party that was elected to insure this legislation is passed and what the people have found that the Democrats are so interested in their own little areas they want passed, or political power, they have held up passage of the Health Reform Bill. The American people are going to send them all out this coming election.
President Obama has gone out of his way on two separate occasions to invite Republicans to add their ideas to the Health Care Legislation, but has been rebuked each time. Now, the Democrats are taking the bull by the horns and getting the bill passed.