Most people think of themselves as being open-minded... In a survey of thousands of American workers, 95% thought they were more open-minded than average! Of course, that’s statistically impossible… So, what does it really mean to be open-minded?
Being open-minded means that, even if you are smart and strong-willed enough to influence opinions of others, you remain flexible enough to:
change your mind when presented with new information,
admit when you are wrong and
adapt to changing conditions.
Being open-minded is also known as having “cognitive flexibility”, and it’s a crucial skill in today’s fast-changing environments. “Cognitive humility” (being humble about your knowledge) and “openness to new experiences” are also characteristics that psychologists tell us contribute to open-mindedness.
So, why do some people quickly accept new beliefs when presented with conflicting information while others cling stubbornly to their old beliefs, denying new facts are true? Researchers suggest 6 characteristics are important:
Respecting viewpoints of others
Each of us has had different experiences and, therefore, may have developed different points of view.
Avoiding overconfidence in your knowledge
It is not possible to know everything. We all need to be aware of how much we don’t know.
Separating your ego from your intellect
Having incomplete knowledge on a subject does not mean you are less of a person. Similarly, there is more to the person you are speaking to than simply their intellect. Don’t belittle someone who doesn’t know all the facts or has an opinion different than yours.
Being willing to change your viewpoint
It is important to be able to admit you didn’t know something and be ready to learn.
Being curious enough to listen to other opinions and points of view
It can be worthwhile to understand WHY someone believes what they do as well as WHAT they believe. Learn where they’re coming from…
Being open to trying new experiences, such as travel and new foods, that may provide a new point of view
New experiences introduce you to new information and broaden your point of view.
Wondering how much “cognitive flexibility” you have? Try this open-mindedness test . I tried it and, while my result said I’m more open-minded than average, I scored below average on separating my ego from my intellect. The questions made me aware that I sometimes feel small or inadequate when I don’t know everything about a subject… I guess that’s something to work on! Perhaps I’ll try telling people when I feel this way, to help myself work through this emotion.
But we can all try to follow Benjamin Franklin’s example of intellectual humility: he would often start a discussion by saying “I could be wrong but…”. These words can make others feel less defensive and allow you to change your opinion more easily if you learn something new in the discussion.
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