What is an Open Mind?

An open mind is like an open well. It is easilySome people didn't have an open mind after all -at
contaminated by anything blowing in the wind. Atleast not open to the most likely scenario. They
least that is the problem with what many call an openwanted a particular answer (space aliens) or wanted
mind. For example, you may have heard someonethe mystery to be maintained. To this day the
called open minded because he believes in visitorstricksters make their designs only to have paranormal
from space, bending spoons with mind power, and"experts" tromp into the fields the following day and
"remote viewing." But isn't this more a sign of aproclaim that no human could have done it.
gullible mind? Let's look at a healthier definition.Note that being curious about the mystery, and
Open Mind - A Definitionspeculating about possible causes is not the problem.
We all like to think that we are open minded. Here isBeing "receptive to new and different ideas" is a
what that means according to a couple differentgood thing. Adopting beliefs without supporting
dictionaries: 1. Receptive to new and different ideasevidence may not be, however. Being receptive to
or the opinions of others; 2. Not narrow orthe idea that previously unknown forces can cause
conservative in thought, expression, or conduct.things to happen is open minded, but it would also be
That sounds reasonable, and we might want to fitvery closed-minded to exclude the possibility that
those definitions. The problem comes when we takethere are more normal explanations - especially when
this to mean that we must entertain any ideathe bulk of the evidence points to this.
regardless of merit, or that believing in unlikely thingsSo what does it mean to have an open mind? To be
is a sign of open-mindedness. Then we begin to givereceptive to new ideas and to avoid narrowness of
too much credit to faulty ideas and unsupportablethought, certainly. But being open minded doesn't
beliefs in the name of having an open mind.mean we have to accept ideas that make no sense,
For example, I watched a program on crop circlesor adopt beliefs without any evidence or reason. And
the other day. These are circles and other geometricit has to mean at least that we are open to the
shapes of flattened crops that appear in fields aroundpossibility that the explanations we would like or
the world. For years many speculated thatwhich are more interesting may be wrong.
spaceships from other planets, "energy vortexes"You have a brain that can analyze various possible
and other outrageous things caused them. "Experts"explanations for things. An open mind may assure
claimed that they could not have been caused byyou that you consider all those possibilities, but it
humans. Much of the public bought into this hype inshouldn't prevent you from discarding those
the name of having an open mind.explanations without evidence in favor of those with
Of course when several individuals and groups finallyevidence. In other words, it should never be an
claimed responsibility, and even showed exactly howexcuse to believe anything in the absence of good
they made the designs, they were ignored by many.thinking.