NationStates Jolt Archive

Just wondering.

I dunno, I don't think there's a limit unless open-mindedness ends up leading you to be close-minded about the other side of an issue...

If that makes any sense whatsoever? I'm tired...

Sure.

Kinda hafta agree. Its hard to paint this black and white though. There are situations that favor one or the other, and one individual can be more of one than the other in different situations.

I choose C) A careful balance should be struck between open-mindedness about the individual's right to choose their way of life vs. open-mindedness about the rights of a society to define itself.

Too much open-mindedness can lead to silliness and naivety.
Too much close-mindedness can lead to arrogant jackasses.
Too much head-think can lead to Hajekistan's brain hurting.

Nice reply Aquatica. Props.

Too much open-mindedness can lead to silliness and naivety.

What examples of this could be named?

It depends on the individual: sometimes there is a fine line between extreme open-mindedness and a lack of willpower or a moral compass, or even gullibility.

What examples of this could be named?
You would accept all arguments and beleive anything someone told you. Everyone needs some amount of cynicism and bitterness to hold people far enough away.

You would accept all arguments and beleive anything someone told you. Everyone needs some amount of cynicism and bitterness to hold people far enough away.

Heh, I know a few people like that.

It depends on the individual: sometimes there is a fine line between extreme open-mindedness and a lack of willpower or a moral compass, or even gullibility.

Specific examples?

Well, some people are open-minded towards NAMBLA - the "North American Man Boy Love Association". Their open-mindedness, is, in fact, condoning paedophilia.

That's what I call too open minded.

In general, being open minded is a very good thing - but like anything else, it must be tempered with morals, common sense, and a sense of self-identity.

Since when is looking at an idea neutrally suddenly mean you condone it?

sure they can. for example, the open-minded answer to the creationist complaint:

"evolution is only a theory, therefore we should also teach the theory of creationism alongside it."

if you refuse to make judgements on factual matters in the interest of being open-minded, you wind up just being an idiot.

Sure you can, and the limit is when you start to believe Michael Moore, and follow him like a god.

Since when is looking at an idea neutrally suddenly mean you condone it?

Normally I would agree with you, but on the subject of paedophilia, I think most can agree that it should be aggreessively stamped out wherever it exists.

I'll leave you with a quote:

‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’

Sure you can, and the limit is when you start to believe Michael Moore, and follow him like a god.


Oh yes.

Absolutely.

We just cant have anyone prancing around telling the truth can we?

I find that without a proper foundation, an open mind can become an open sewer.

Theres a saying " Be openminded but not so openminded that your brain falls out" and btw did you know that The ACLU supports NAMBLA ?

Yeah, if you're open minded to the point of not forming any opinions of your own, that's too open minded.

I suppose that entirely depends on how you define open-minded. For me, being open-minded is nothing more than considering all sides of a point without bias. I don't see how one can go wrong in giving equal consideration to all points; we're not talking about automatically agreeing with everything suggested to us, just giving all points of view thought.

I don't believe it's possible to be too open-minded. Open-mindedness doesn't demand approval. All it asks of you is to be capable of considering different, or even opposing, points of view. And until I consider something or someone, I'm not in a position to either approve or disapprove anyway. I'd pretty much have to remain open-minded, unless I just want to take someone elses' opinion of a given topic for granted. Which I've never, or maybe very rarely, done.

Consider though that open-minded is different from what action you actually take.

Everyone needs to take a stand on important issues and to know right from wrong. But the open-minded person constantly reviews and questions his/her own beliefs to see if they still hold true. Every morning one should ask whether gravity is still true today.

Too open minded? No.

Unrealistic, perhaps.

I think someone can be too open-minded; to the point where it leads to acceptance of anything and everything, and a lack of conviction about anything.

A saying I once heard:

"A mind open at both ends is empty."

I think that there is a point where, if one becomes too openminded, it is paralytic and harmful.

Open-mindedness is okay as long as it means you evaluate everything before you accept or reject it, but when you are so open-minded that you have no standards left by which to evaluate anything in the first place, then you are left with no means by which to make a choice at all. This is what I mean by "paralytic"...open-mindedness to the point where it deprives you of the ability to make choices (which I consider a necessary ability for human existence). And the failure to make choices is largely a harmful one to that person.

Yes, you can absolutely be too open minded. Any person who will allow anything stands for nothing.

Open minded in what sense?

People should be open-minded enough to at least listen to all viewpoints available and consider them without prejudice (or at least with as little prejudice as possibe).

However people who change their outlook every five minutes based upon whatever the last person they heard told them are simply idiots.


That is not being open-minded though. That implies an inability for independant, cohesive thought.

"If you don't stand for anything, you'll for for everything."
Consider my words, children :)