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How to Practice Active (not Passive) Open-Mindedness

A simple, 2-step method to help you learn and unlearn more effectively, and gain a stronger body of knowledge in the process.

For all the lip service that we tend to give the concept of “an open mind”, I have found that it both (a) isn’t clearly and consistently defined (b) there is no good set of instructions for how to develop and keep an open mind.

For the most part, I think that we tend to conceive of an open mind as simply being willing to try new things or tolerate people or opinions who are different. But what I mean when I say open mind is more robust than that. I call it being actively open-minded. By actively open minded I mean possessing the following 2 traits:

1. The ability to quickly and nimbly integrate new information into your current set of beliefs.
2. The willingness to change your existing beliefs according to the strength of evidence that supports them.

Those of us who consider ourselves as “lifelong learners” have likely honed the first trait quite well. But the second trait— effectively the ability to change your mind — is challenging for many. And often, the more educated you take yourself to be, the more research you have done and the more intellectual…