Are you open minded?

Question

Before answering the title question, read the below.

There are two things I want to know, one of them you can answer at your own free will. Here are the questions;

1) Do you think that you are open minded?

2) Are you open minded?

Question 2 should be answered based upon the definition of the word "open-minded". This is the definition of on-line dictionary http://dictionary.reference.com , and it says:

o·pen-mind·ed Audio Help /ˈoʊpənˈmaɪndɪd/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[oh-puhn-mahyn-did] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective 1. having or showing a mind receptive to new ideas or arguments.

2. unprejudiced; unbigoted; impartial.

Now... I don't want to hear "Yes, but..." on question 2. Either you accept new ideas or you don't. Accepting new ideas on the basis that they "are realistic" is partial, prejudiced and therefore not quite open minded.

Answer 1

yes and yes - what are you expecting people to say - no, im really narrow minded and not open at all to new ideas

Answer 2

yes i am open minded.

i believe that everybody should be open to new ideas, and that people have different opions, and also that people should reaspect the opions of others

Answer 3

1) yes,

2) Sometimes.

Answer 4

1. I accept that all arguments have validity,

even if it only validates the stupidity of it'self.

If it is untrue it will expose it'self so.

2. Our differences are our greatest strengths,

humanities diversity and ability to adapt to a new environment is what has helped us to become what we are now. Without it we will grow stagnant and die, life is change, change is life. Our survival depends on diversity.

Hope that helps.

Answer 5

I must be as I keep answering questions on this site always highlighting the positives to all the negatives given.

Answer 6

The answer to both of those questions depends on what mood I happen to be in at the time.  

1.  I'd like to think so

2. Sometimes... but at other times I find prejudices creeping in.. even though I don't want to be prejudiced.   I'd like to be a good person, who only thinks good thoughts, but that is unrealistic.  I don't think we're made up that way.  It's something we have to work at.

Maybe.. just my thoughts on the matter..but I am open minded enough to listen to what everybody else has to say :-)

Answer 7

Yes I've been opened minded to new ideas but I've learned to close my mind to a number of things. New ideas can be quite detrimental to you if you don't use a discerning intelligence. Wisdom dictates that ideas can be good and acceptable, but it also dictates a state of caution in what you accept.

You do have to learn to close your mind to some things, otherwise anyone can lead you around by the nose with a nose-ring called "open minded".

Answer 8

I am afraid but i ll have to answer u like "Yes but..."

Or for that matter u can  say i am partial open minded. I believe in the balance, both extremes can be fatal and being a true, complete open mind is also one of the extreme end. For example, an unethical completely new sexual activity can be considered as a 'new idea' but shall i be accepting it bcos i am an open minded person?

There can be similar example on all aspects of life, but yes i analyze the idea based on my reasoning and i try to fit myself in others shoe's, if it is still convincing i accept the change.

Answer 9

yes, yes

Answer 10

yes, think and am. Im the person to think of another idea, solution or more considerations to something, coz its not about what you think or what you believe anymore, its bigger than that, its simply about knowing the truth, for them being wrong is not supposed to cloud their judgement.

If i do get some close minded tendencies, i process all the new information, looking at every angle and every considerations, and eventually come out with an un-biased opinion so id know if i should accept it or not.

although too much of anything is bad, so sometimes too much open-mindedness can be close-mindedness, by constantly ignoring facts and other information.

does being close-minded mean that you lack something that open-minded people have? doesnt it also hold true in vice-versa?

so is open-mindedness just freedom of thought?

and its just by considering every possibility bound by no rules? isnt neglecting the rules considered a close-minded thought? maybe true open-mindedness is just by being "minded". sorry to digress

Answer 11

1. yes

2. Yes, im actually too receptive to arguments or other ideas, which is hard for me. I'd rather try to keep my ideas sometimes, and i can lose confidence a little easily in my own ideas, depending on how the other person presents their ideas. Even if it isn't realistic or practical in the least.

Answer 12

yes, and again yes!   can't live life without being open minded, if I wasn't open minded then my life would be boring!

Answer 13

yes..OK   ..1)  would  like  to  think  I  was  open  minded   .but  not  so  closed  minded  to  really  think  I,am  

2) I'm  realists  and  always  open  to  others  views  digest   and  make  up  own  mind  ..if  I    don't  agree  does  this  make  me  something  other  than  open  minded  ...

..

What  exactly  makes  you  open  minded  ..if  you  agree  or  disagree  with  the  majority  ...I  personally  look  at  new  ideas   ,look  at  them  in  realistic  manner  ,digest  think  about  embrace  and  some  toss  out  with  the  bath  water  ,as  everyone  else  does  .....its  called  free  thinking

not  open  or  shut

Answer 14

I would like to think I am open minded but I do have my own principles and I will only open my mind on them to someone that can prove my principles wrong.

Answer 15

dictionary don"t work for me either! i am open to new ideas and evaluate according to research...to me thats being realistic...

Answer 16

I have my own opinions, but i do not have absolutes - im so open minded i can pull it out of my ears and tie it under my chin!

when attempting to convince others of my views, ill always point out the flaws in my own arguements - and i usually use the phrase " but who knows, we are only ants trying to understand the lawnmower" -

i think open mindedness is more common in atheist / scientist views, as the mantra of a true scientist , by definition, should be that no facts are final and new information changes old conclusions.

Answer 17

I am very open-minded....

but I do have limits , I am not open-minded on the following matters :

-Paedophilia

-Raping

-Necrophillia

-Commitment phobics .....lol

-Oh and teenage s*x- very disturbing

Answer 18

i hope i'm liberal enough to be opened minded, so i'll say yes and yes

Answer 19

I would say yes on both counts. I don't pre-judge anything, I get in there, explore, and figure it out for myself.

If I do happen to become close minded about something specific, it's only after I've looked at it objectively and have deduced for myself that it's not really something that I'm interested in. But I will check it out first...with an open minded attitude.

Answer 20

I am very open minded and in every sense of the word. I love hearing peoples ideas and opinions. I think it's brilliant that so many people are interested in so many different things and see the world so very differently. I don't believe open minded means 'agree' though, therefore although I may be totally open and respect other peoples points of view, I don't always agree. But, I feel that is the beauty of it all. In my relationship we are both open minded (in ways I will not go into here) and the way in which we bring up our children, we are always listening to them and their opinions. I know that we are from a different generation and therefore I have to keep an open mind....life is very different now.

For example, I am not a believer in God and moreso religeon, however , my Dad is and I respect that. He, however is not as open minded...at all actually. There is too much in this world and it is far too big to be closed minded about things, wouldn't you agree?

Plus I'm a Gemini and I actually can't help it!

Answer 21

I used to be open minded but my brains kept falling out.

Nobody in the world is truly open minded.