The Hidden Dangers of Being Open-Minded
11 min readOct 21, 2023
What’s that I can hear? — oh, just this call for open-mindedness again…
Open minds are dangerous.
Let’s get to the bottom of this commonly encouraged mindset and ask:
- what is open-mindedness and where does it come from?
- is an open mind valuable/desirable?
- is it consistent with our nature and the role of ideas in our lives?
- what makes for an effective mindset?
To start, we will look at a definition and the public’s take on open-mindedness. Then, the roots of the concept will bring out its essence, before we explore the dangers, the alternatives, and the bottom line.
An “Open Mind”
The notion of keeping an open mind enjoys wide support.
From everywhere around us we hear that it’s best to approach everything new, be it a fresh perspective or experience, a new person, or a new way of life, with open-mindedness.
As defined by the Cambridge Dictionary…
