open mind...what's it all about?

[starbuck]

Open-mindedness is a virtue, but so is skepticism. I like to think that I have an equal combination of the two. At least that's what I aim for.

Both are helpful to have in equal amounts. Without an open mind, there is a chance that you might end up having intolerance towards people and ideas. Without skepticism, there is the chance that you might end up being led around by the nose.

[IndiReloaded]

Meh. We used to discuss this stuff (usually drunk) as undergrads. Open-mindedness is a *tool*, a mental state, one uses to make an initial evaluation as to the likelihood something may be true.

It does NOT mean that one must *remain* open to any & all ideas. As I keep saying not all ideas are created equal. Some ideas are simply shite and deserved to be dismissed as such. Teacups orbiting Jupiter & Smurfs in my garden being two such examples.

As one gains experience, particularly in an area of expertise, one gets good at separating the crap ideas from the good ones. A doctor or nurse doesn't consider *every* possible diagnosis when a sick patient comes in. They don't keep an 'open mind' to every possibility. If they did, patients would die & no progress would be made. They do a rapid exam & discard the least likely possibilities based on research, experience (case history study & their own) & the data in front of them. And, the more they see of similar cases, the better they get at this process.

The idea that one should keep an 'open mind' about everything, equally, is foolish. A mind that does this, that never learns to be discerning, is a mind that can't focus down on what is meaningful.