I came across the following quote on Facebook: “Cheers to all the people who can change their minds when presented with information that contradicts their beliefs.” This is what having an open mind is all about-a willingness to consider new information, fresh ideas, and new ways of doing things even if they run counter to your beliefs. This is how we learn and grow. People with closed minds are only willing to consider ideas and information that agree with their beliefs. Not much learning or growth takes place, and they are left in the dust as the world passes them by. For example, I have a friend who is a devoted student of a famous battle in American History. I suggested a research-based book that showed how all the commonly held beliefs about the battle were myths and not facts. This person became very defensive and said to me, “I like my myths; they make me happy.” His closed mind denied him the opportunity to learn and grow. He wasn’t willing to question his strongly held beliefs even when confronted with the truth.

One Sentence Wisdom

• “People are very open-minded about new things…as long as they’re exactly like the old ones!” — Charles Kettering
• “An open mind is prerequisite to an open heart.” — Robert Sapolsky

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