Being an open-minded individual
 

I've been realizing a lot lately that being open minded is a really tough thing to do. To me, it makes it seem as if there is no right or wrong answer to life, but rather doing what makes one happy is how people should lead their life. The trippy part of this type of logic is that it justifies everyone's points of view on life, anything ranging from serial killers who have been abused since childhood and see murder as artwork, to an old man sitting in a clock shop, working on making his daily earnings. Many times, open-mindedness leaves me to be set up as a clumsy, indecisive person because forming opinions and conclusions to things makes me feel as if I am closing off my creativity.

Perhaps there is difference between knowing the answer to something, and understanding the answer...many times, the pride I took in thinking that I understood an aspect of life has always been shattered because it seems as if the more you take one type of opinion to be true, the opposite of that opinion will be just as valid.

If I had an open mind, all of my good ideas would fly out of my head.

Just like everything else, taking open-mindedness to an extreme will lead you into trouble. Some of the examples you mention point out why.

You have gone way too deep into the thought process. You are taking it in a truly objective fashion, where even society's values don't affect your judgment. That is too far, IMO - objective to a fault. Keep an open mind if you like, but keep your values as well. Make it a subjective thought process, because being subjective gives every person their uniqueness. If everyone suddenly became objective similar to your example, there would be only twisted rationalities and, well, objective chaos. Even nature, with its blind uncaring feel, has set rules that animals don't break except in certain circumstances.

Being open minded means that you are willing to listen and learn. It does not mean that you have to believe in absolute moral relativity. Being open does not mean you have to accept everything you hear, just that you are willing to consider it.

I don't think she's gone too deep into it at all.

While I buy your illustration of the potential consequences of rampant, unbridled objectivity, I really don't buy the notion that societies 'norm' should be our gauge of judgment, our scales of right and wrong. Evidence being that different cultures have different values and thresholds, and some just aren't gonna jive with one's personal compass no matter how much objectivity s/he strive for.

When you're at the point of questioning a lot of the basis which your life and the world around you is supported, it's gonna cause some turmoil. But no matter how objective we are, we're still the same judgmental human we always were, and we'll develop new biases instead of relying on the old ones. Personally I tend to think of this as a good experience, as I'm not a fan of blind trust and dogma.

We're gonna pick up bias from our surroundings no matter what, but beyond that kind of passive, filtered osmosis, direct peer-derived rationalization is trouble waiting to happen.

A lot of history's ugliest times of boodshed come to mind.

My apologies, I should have worded it differently. I wrote society's values, but trust me when I say I did not mean only that function. I am a staunch individualist, in mores, religion, sexual practice - everything. It was a short answer for a big question.

I agree with you completely and I'm glad you pointed that out.

I believe there to be a baseline for values in society. Some you agree with and some you don't. In the end it's just a baseline, and you take from it what you want. As an inherently good person (not christian good, just an open-ended definition of good), one can take this baseline and run with it, and mesh well within a given society. There are some, however, that take this idea and turn themselves into well, something like a scene out of the SAW series. Those people are fewer than the others, fortunately, but the element obviously exists.

This topic leads to a massive convergence of other topics, such as spirituality, religion, sociology and individual psychology, etc. "Kate" appears to have been banned, so her (assuming gender based on name) continued discussion is not likely LOL.

I wish more people were open minded.

Yeah, good point - a kind of baseline or average does indeed exist and we all oscillate somewhere near or far from it.

But heres a question: Does one's open-mindedness really affect what extremes a person is willing to go to? Or would that happen by some other means, be it teachings or chemical imbalance or whatever? I'm just not sure excessive open-mindedness is the culprit when someone does something terrible and freaky; My impression is that it's mostly other elements that drive super-funky behavior. I'd welcome your perspective otherwise, though...

Isn't open-mindedness merely the ability to remain open or receptive to new ideas?

How can one possibly be faulted for that? Being open doesn't imply a willingness to comply with others beliefs or a forfeiture of one's self.
I think I'd define it as a willingness to listen and understand another's perspective, and yes - possibly be willing to change my own. If I'm right, I can't be considered openminded. No?

Being open-minded and being reluctant to commit to a choice are two very different animals.

That is as befitting and precise as one could state. Wise words to account.