| An open mind is like an open well. It is easily | | | | Some people didn't have an open mind after all -at |
| contaminated by anything blowing in the wind. At least | | | | least not open to the most likely scenario. They |
| that is the problem with what many call an open mind. | | | | wanted a particular answer (space aliens) or wanted |
| For example, you may have heard someone called | | | | the mystery to be maintained. To this day the |
| open minded because he believes in visitors from | | | | tricksters make their designs only to have paranormal |
| space, bending spoons with mind power, and "remote | | | | "experts" tromp into the fields the following day and |
| viewing." But isn't this more a sign of a gullible mind? | | | | proclaim that no human could have done it. |
| Let's look at a healthier definition. | | | | Note that being curious about the mystery, and |
| Open Mind - A Definition | | | | speculating about possible causes is not the problem. |
| We all like to think that we are open minded. Here is | | | | Being "receptive to new and different ideas" is a good |
| what that means according to a couple different | | | | thing. Adopting beliefs without supporting evidence may |
| dictionaries: 1. Receptive to new and different ideas or | | | | not be, however. Being receptive to the idea that |
| the opinions of others; 2. Not narrow or conservative in | | | | previously unknown forces can cause things to |
| thought, expression, or conduct. | | | | happen is open minded, but it would also be very |
| That sounds reasonable, and we might want to fit | | | | closed-minded to exclude the possibility that there are |
| those definitions. The problem comes when we take | | | | more normal explanations - especially when the bulk of |
| this to mean that we must entertain any idea | | | | the evidence points to this. |
| regardless of merit, or that believing in unlikely things is | | | | So what does it mean to have an open mind? To be |
| a sign of open-mindedness. Then we begin to give too | | | | receptive to new ideas and to avoid narrowness of |
| much credit to faulty ideas and unsupportable beliefs in | | | | thought, certainly. But being open minded doesn't mean |
| the name of having an open mind. | | | | we have to accept ideas that make no sense, or |
| For example, I watched a program on crop circles the | | | | adopt beliefs without any evidence or reason. And it |
| other day. These are circles and other geometric | | | | has to mean at least that we are open to the |
| shapes of flattened crops that appear in fields around | | | | possibility that the explanations we would like or which |
| the world. For years many speculated that spaceships | | | | are more interesting may be wrong. |
| from other planets, "energy vortexes" and other | | | | You have a brain that can analyze various possible |
| outrageous things caused them. "Experts" claimed that | | | | explanations for things. An open mind may assure you |
| they could not have been caused by humans. Much of | | | | that you consider all those possibilities, but it shouldn't |
| the public bought into this hype in the name of having | | | | prevent you from discarding those explanations |
| an open mind. | | | | without evidence in favor of those with evidence. In |
| Of course when several individuals and groups finally | | | | other words, it should never be an excuse to believe |
| claimed responsibility, and even showed exactly how | | | | anything in the absence of good thinking. |
| they made the designs, they were ignored by many. | | | | |