Open-mindedness

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Open-mindedness is receptiveness to new ideas. Open-mindedness relates to the way in which people approach the views and knowledge of others. [1] Jason Baehr defines an open-minded person as one who "characteristically moves beyond or temporarily sets aside his own doxastic commitments in order to give a fair and impartial hearing to the intellectual opposition". [2] Jack Kwong's definition sees open-mindedness as the "willingness to take a novel viewpoint seriously". [3]

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According to Wayne Riggs, open-mindedness springs from an awareness of the inherent fallibility of one's beliefs; hence, open-minded individuals are more inclined to listen to, and seriously consider, alternative viewpoints. [4]

There are various scales for the measurement of open-mindedness. [5] Harding and Hare argued that schools should emphasize open-mindedness more than relativism in their science instruction, because the scientific community does not embrace a relativistic way of thinking. [6]

Among other things, the critical attitude[ clarification needed ] involves an open-minded outlook with respect to one's beliefs. [7]

Open-mindedness is generally considered[ by whom? ] an important personal attribute for effective participation in management teams and other groups.[ citation needed ] Open-mindedness is usually encouraged[ by whom? ] in group settings, within different cultures and new environments. [8] [ need quotation to verify ]

According to David DiSalvo, closed-mindedness, or an unwillingness to consider new ideas, can result from the brain's natural dislike for ambiguity. According to this view, the brain has a "search and destroy" relationship with ambiguity and evidence contradictory to people's current beliefs tends to make them uncomfortable by introducing such ambiguity. [9] Research confirms that belief-discrepant-closed-minded persons have less tolerance for cognitive inconsistency. [10]

Virtues contrasting with open-mindedness include steadfastness, loyalty, and fundamentalism.

Open-mindedness in American political parties

Democrats and Republicans differ in how they describe themselves in 2024, according to a Pew poll. Three-fourths (75%) of Democrats describing themselves as open minded compared to half (54%) of Republicans while 44% of Republicans are skeptical of what experts say compared to 17% of Democrats. Additionally 71% of Republicans describe themselves as “respectful of authority” compared to 61% of Democrats with 58% of Republicans describing themselves as traditional while only 19% of Democrats describing that way. [11] Of liberal Democrats, 87% of them describe themselves as open minded compared to 49% who identify as conservatives while 51% of conservatives being skeptical of experts compared to 14% of liberal Democrats. [12]

See also

References

  1. ↑
    • Tjosvold, Dean; Poon, Margaret (1998). "Dealing with Scarce Resources: Open-Minded Interaction for Resolving Budget Conflicts". Group & Organization Management . 23 (3): 237–58. doi:10.1177/1059601198233003. S2CID   145375329.
    • Mitchell, Rebecca & Nicholas, Stephen (2006). "Knowledge Creation in Groups: The Value of Cognitive Diversity, Transactive Memory and Open-mindedness Norms". Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management. 4 (1): 67–74.
  2. ↑ Baehr, Jason (2011). "The Structure of Open-Mindedness". Canadian Journal of Philosophy. 41 (2): 191–213. doi:10.1353/cjp.2011.0010. S2CID   55516406.
  3. ↑ Kwong, Jack M.C. (2015). "Open-Mindedness as a Critical Virtue" (PDF). Topio. 35 (2): 403–411. doi:10.1007/s11245-015-9317-4. S2CID   10757787.
  4. ↑ Riggs, Wayne (2010). "Open-mindedness". Metaphilosophy. 41 (1–2): 172–188. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9973.2009.01625.x. S2CID   240236568.
  5. ↑ Haiman, Franklyn S. (2009). "A revised scale for the measurement of open-mindedness". Speech Monographs. 31 (2): 97–102. doi:10.1080/03637756409375396.
  6. ↑ Harding, Patricia; Hare, William (2000). "Portraying Science Accurately in Classrooms: Emphasizing Open-Mindedness Rather Than Relativism". Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 37 (3): 225–236. Bibcode:2000JRScT..37..225H. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-2736(200003)37:3<225::AID-TEA1>3.0.CO;2-G.
  7. ↑ Hare, William (1998). "Bertrand Russell on Critical Thinking". Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy. Boston, Mass.
  8. ↑ Hambrick, Donald C. (1987). "The Top Management Team: Key to Strategic Success". California Management Review . 30 (1): 88–108. doi:10.2307/41165268. JSTOR   41165268. S2CID   155702534.
  9. ↑ DiSalvo, David (2011). What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite. Prometheus Books. ISBN   978-1-61614-483-8.
  10. ↑ Hunt, Martin F. Jr.; Miller, Gerald R. (1968). "Open- and closed-mindedness, belief-discrepant communication behavior, and tolerance for cognitive inconsistency". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 8 (1): 35–37. doi:10.1037/h0021238. PMID   5638020.
  11. ↑ Daniller, Shanay Gracia and Andrew (2024-08-29). "Republicans and Democrats differ in how they describe themselves". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
  12. ↑ Daniller, Shanay Gracia and Andrew (2024-08-29). "Liberal Democrats are particularly likely to describe themselves as open-minded, while conservative Republicans stand out for their skepticism of experts". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2025-11-08.

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