What are the benefits of having and open mind, and alternatively what are the do

1. 93

   CWanamakerposted 12 years ago

   What are the benefits of having and open mind, and alternatively what are the downsides to it?

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2. 0

   msorenssonposted 12 years ago

   An open mind is only a concept, as is a closed mind. There is only mind, and when one is aware it becomes obvious that it tries to rule
   
   "There is no master more ruthless, no jungle more wild, and no fire more fierce and consuming than the reactive mind. Therefore the battlefield of the mind is the only one we have to conquer, the only prison we have to walk out of, and then we can realize we have always been free. Freedom is the true nature of our being."
   
   http://msorensson.hubpages.com/hub/To-Covet

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3. 0

   JaxsonRaineposted 12 years ago

   The benefits are that you allow yourself to grow beyond what you were taught at a young age. Most people, for instance, believe that their birth religion is the right one, but they would believe that in almost any other religion if they were born into it.
   
   The only downside would be if one confused open-mindedness with unbridled acceptance. We still need to think and consider new ideas, but we shouldn't necessarily dismiss them out-of-hand.

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4. 66

   meow48posted 12 years ago

   um, let's see.  Having an open mind allows for discussion of new ideas, beliefs, and interaction without judgment.... Toleration comes to mind.... but one's own beliefs, thought processes, and character are the filters used to decide whether those new ideas, beliefs and interactions have any value to the individual.
   
   It has been said that morality has been turned to grey in our society.  For me, in a nutshell, an open mind means to choose to hate the sin but love the sinner.  And I only have to look at my own life to remember not to cast the first stone at someone else.  great question... though.

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   CJ Sledgehammerposted 12 years ago

   Being open to new information allows one to increase in knowledge. It can, however, lead one down a descending path toward ruin as well as foster a climate of perpetual confusion thus overtaking the individual, who seems to be always seeking, but never finding.
   
   Not all new information is good, helpful, or even true. One must, therefore, be quite discerning when it comes to the acquisition of knowledge. Then again, there are many things that our minds should never be open to in the first place.
   
   My thoughts are one should face the world with a critical, yet open mind, but once truth has been ingested, that particular question no longer needs to be left open for debate or discussion. Should a person keep their mouths open after filling their bellies? Of course not, so why should the mind be any different. Once certain questions have been answered with good judgment and reason, one should make the decision to move on.
   
   There are those who insist that open-mindedness is a virtue of sorts and although I would agree that there is much to gain, there is also much to lose. There are some things I am open to, but there are other things that the jury has already decided upon and coming to certain decisions in life has enabled me to move on.
   
   Why beat a dead horse? Should we be a juror who is always deliberating life's questions, but never coming to a verdict? In the end, I think being perpetually open-minded is like building a house on shifting sands.

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   kwade tweelingposted 12 years ago

   I have been told: "If your mind is open, your mind can be changed by any argument. If your mind is closed, you will never learn anything. To accept truth and reject lies, you must find a balance." This has been paraphrased and repeated and the origin lost.
   
   I figure that is a good ruler to use.

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7. 0

   mcals71posted 12 years ago

   Pros: If we didn't have an open mind we wouldn't have philosophers, medical researchers and physicists among us. We wouldn't have the drive to learn and the disposition to accept change in the world and in our personal life. We would lack the ability to coexist with others of different opinions and cultural backgrounds than our own. We would be intolerant and unable to empathize, and most of all we would live in fear of the unknown, as people did in the Dark Ages.
   Cons: If we don't temper an open mind with wisdom we will never form a personal opinion because truth becomes relative and open-ended. We will seek but never find.

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8. 60

   NiaLeeposted 12 years ago

   benefits, are growth, more opportunities to learn and share, downsides are to get caught or stretched to the place where you should never reach!

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9. 61

   kessposted 12 years ago

   Open mindesness leaves one unstable...never learning truth.
   Close mindedness leaves one harden...never learning truth.
   
   Both belong to the outer hearing ear the root of doubtfulness.
   It differs from the inner hearing ear, that is open to hearing truth and closed to retain it.

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