Open My Mind and Open Again
Those who tin't change their minds tin't change anything.
George Bernard Shaw
You're not as open-minded as you think.
I don't mean to insult you past proverb that. It merely happens to be true for just nearly everyone, including Kim and me.
If you yet don't believe me, isn't that in itself evidence of your shut-mindedness? And ask yourself this:
When was the concluding time you changed your listen?
Asking the waiter to change your order from the burger to macaroni or switching out of 1 dress and into another before a hot date doesn't count.
When did you change your mind nigh an stance or belief that matters?
If nothing jumps to your mind, don't despair. Most people can't come up with anything on the spot. Because well-nigh people aren't as open-minded as they call up. Accepting that is the first footstep to existence more open-minded.
This post on how to exist more open-minded volition assist you find the next steps to have today.
1. Warm up your heed before opening it.
Get the blood flowing and work up a footling chip of sweat with some easy mind-changers.
For example:
- Napoleon was in a higher place average in height.
- The spiciest part of chili peppers isn't the seeds.
- Buddha was not stubby.
- Bats are not bullheaded.
For more proof you lot aren't as smart every bit you remember, curlicue through Wikipedia's extensive list of common misconceptions. And then maybe try something a fiddling bit heavier like this: Why 5 x 3 = v + v + v Was Marked Wrong.
2. Plant seed of dubiety in your brain.
If yous oasis't already put some idea into the question from the intro, "When was the last time you changed your mind?" delight do.
So endeavor wrapping your head (or unwrapping it?) around these side by side two:
1. When was the last time you told someone, "You lot were right. I was wrong"?
Almost of us have punched a wall out of frustration more recently than we've said those six words in that order. Punching a wall hurts less.
Simply punching a wall will ever injure. Dissimilar walls, our ego softens so saying, "You were correct. I was wrong," becomes less painful over time.
Maxim it tin even outset to feel good. Doing and so:
- Means you've learned something new, and,
- Makes the smarty-pants you had to admit information technology to happy.
Win-win!
And then get started by maxim, "You were right. I was wrong" to someone today.
two. What fact would change one of your strongly-held behavior?
For instance, in my example:
Belief: Following the news is counter-productive.
What would change my mind: A study finding that news junkies in similar professions to mine are somehow ameliorate off—whether that be increased creativity, productivity, or improved social interactions—than people like me who don't bother with the news.
Belief: Men should pee sitting downward at home.
What would change my heed: Strong evidence that doing then causes some sort of urinary tract or bladder issues or that sitting on the toilet seat is so dirty that I'm better off avoiding it (which it isn't).
Now you try.
It's not every bit easy as you lot'd recall, just it opens a crack in your strongly-held opinions that helps you lot be more open-minded.
three. Do some blind-spotting.
"The brain is designed with blind spots, optical and psychological, and one of its cleverest tricks is to confer on u.s. the comforting delusion that we, personally, do not accept any."
Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)
Similar a kid tampering with their report bill of fare to make a D look similar a B before showing it to their parents, your brain'due south always trying to hide the truth from yous.
It's a well-intentioned trickery. Your encephalon creatively fills in the gaps to protect you from crippling incertitude and indecision. But if you lot allow information technology rampantly lie to you lot those blind spots will become nasty stains.
Catch your brain in the act:
Do this quick practise to see your blind spot. Don't be lazy like Kim when she first proofread this. It takes five seconds:
- Move your head to virtually 20 inches / l centimeters from any screen you're looking at this on.
- Shut your right eye and focus on the + with your left.
- Watch the red dot with your peripheral vision. Notice how it disappears and reappears as information technology moves in and out of your optical blind spot.
Cool, huh?
Also bad seeing your own psychological blind spots is not so easy.
But others tin can run across your blind spots as conspicuously as they tin can olfactory property your bad breath. So ask someone you trust today to help you find your psychological bullheaded spots and be open-minded plenty to actively listen.
It's the only fashion outmatch your brain's trickery.
Bonus Brain Trickery
These strawberries are not red :
Zoom into any pixel and you'll run across these "cerise" strawberries are actually grey. Your brain's tricking yous again. It's showing you want you lot want to meet to be consistent with what it's seen in the by.
The same happens with your beliefs. Your brain prefers consistency over accurateness. And, merely like seeing ruby-red strawberries, it's nearly impossible to cease it. Being open up-minded enough to accept it'southward happening is a good starting time.
4. Change something other than your listen.
"Information technology'southward easier to human action your way into a new style of thinking than think your way into a new way of interim."
Jerry Sternin, The Power of Positive Deviance
If you change everything else, your listen will feel FOMO and follow suit. Here are some things to try changing today to be more open up-minded:
- Habiliment. What we wear affects how nosotros call up and act. And so perchance effort dressing like a hippie or, if yous piece of work from home, do then naked to be more vulnerable and open up to new ideas.
- Identity. Challenging your beliefs and opinions challenges your identity. That'southward hard. And so change your identity entirely by pretending to be someone else. It frees you up to see and believe things from different angles without challenging your identity. (PS: Role play's also a fun relationship hack.)
- Exercise. Ditch the gym and piece of work out outside. Practise a handstand. Castor your body. The fresh air will have added heed-opening benefits.
- Slumber surface. Sleeping on the floor messed upwards my sleep only sparked my creativity.
- Food. Teach yourself to like a food you don't like, like I did with black licorice. Or go out for a blazon of cuisine you've never had before. Or cook information technology. Or don't eat at all.
- Routine. Put your socks on before your pants (or vice versa). Accept a dissimilar road to work.
- Environment. Trade desks or offices with a colleague. Work from a hipster café if y'all're not a hipster. Work from a Starbucks or McDonald'south if you are. Escape into nature.
For more ideas, inspiration, and detail on ways to "human action your way to a new mode of thinking," see our list of new things to try and sign up for something fresh every x days from my newsletter, Consider This.
5. Exercise a bullheaded gustatory modality examination.
These days, everyone'south a foodie. And to be a certified foodie you must have strong preferences on a certain type or make of cheese, beer, ice cream, vino, java, whiskey, or whatever.
Or you think you do.
A blind taste test will tell you lot if that'south truthful or not.
If y'all carry your blind taste examination well and honestly (our guide tin help), you lot'll well-nigh certainly discover some surprises. Y'all'll be forced to open your mind about your taste preferences. And perhaps information technology'll open your listen upward plenty for something else to sneak in, too.
6. Go merely-less.
Saying "only" in a conversation is a refusal to acknowledge that your conversation partner's opinion can be just as valid as yours. It's close-minded, then get rid of your buts. Become your howevers outta hither, as well.
Replace them with "Yeah, and…" or, if you lot truly tin can't acknowledge the truth of your partner'southward position, "Interesting, and…"
For case, your annoying fiancée may tell you, "Chris, you tin can't wear flip flops to dinner. It's not polite."
I could respond with, "But I hate shoes and it's uncomfortable." We tin all judge how well that will piece of work out for me.
Or I could respond, "Yeah, and what do I do about the fact that information technology's really hot out and my anxiety get uncomfortably sweaty in socks and shoes?" This volition lead to a more open-minded give-and-take on both sides, even though we all know it's one I'm destined to lose.
Try it. Get but-less for a whole day. It's non easy.
And see our post on how to go along an open up mind for some other language-related way to be more open-minded.
7. Go some perspective.
The Voyager 1 space probe took the below photograph of globe, the little white dot halfway upwards the white stripe, from most half dozen billion kilometers away.
Wait at it and reflect on these words:
"Look again at that dot. That'due south hither. That's home. That'south us. On it, everyone you beloved, anybody you know, anybody you have e'er heard of, every man beingness who always was, lived out their lives."
Carl Sagan
Would you contend with someone who knows everything?
If the previous perspective exercise doesn't inspire you to be more open-minded, endeavor this related thought exercise:
Imagine the all-knowing being who created everything in the photo above appears side by side to you, leans over, and whispers, "Hey, detest to break it to you just [insert any of your rigidly-held beliefs here] is incorrect."
Would you be similar that person who blames their computer for making a mathematical mistake and argue? Or would you lot be open-minded enough to question your belief and enquire this being the truth?
Assuming the latter, you lot have to admit that you lot could e'er be wrong. Remember that.
viii. Enquire yourself meliorate questions.
Request and answering the right questions is like getting betoken on your phone's GPS when you're lost. It change change your mind and your direction.
Hither are a few:
- The Un-Settler: What would your 20-year-quondam self think about where you lot're at today?
- The Problem Solver: What problem are you solving in your life?
- The Strategy Setter: What is your definition of "winning at life"?
See 10 Questions to Ask Yourself to Ensure Your Life'due south On the Right Track for more than.
9. Learn tactics to keep your mind open.
We need to regularly push button the "open up door" button on our mental elevators. If non, more and more "wis-dumb" gets trapped as we historic period until we're stubborn old cranks who rant and rave about how everything was better in the proficient ol' days.
Here are five of my favorite tactics from our postal service on how to keep an open mind (and exist right more frequently):
- Separate yourself from your beliefs
- Acknowledge mistakes early on and often
- Arrange the dials of your beliefs
- Travel
- Seek challengers
10. Bring together the fun.
Go a mind-opening new thought forth with some quick idea starters every 10 days by joining Kim, me, and a few thousand subscribers on our newsletter, Consider This.
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Source: https://www.theunconventionalroute.com/be-open-minded/
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