How open minded do you consider yourself?

[MatticusMania]

I personally would half-disagree. In my opinion, there are universals truths to how to live properly in many instances. Sometimes we don't like to accept that though. We like to live how we wanna live. This is generally based on our limitations of wisdom.

IMO, there are few universal truths, but yes, there are some.
I dont believe that they are: practice yoga, eat only "organic" foods, dont study for a business degree, only work doing what you love to do, live your life exactly how I live mine.
I do a few of those things myself, but I dont believe that someone who doesnt will not have the ability to be happy in their life.

YMMV

 

[LiquidMidnight]

In the animal kingdom there are predators and prey. The easiest way to tell them apart is their eyes. If their eyes are set widely apart (especially on either side of their head), then they are evolved for immense peripheral vision for threat detection. These are your veggie eaters. A predator's eyes are on the front of the face and set closely together for perspective and range finding. These are the creatures that will cut off your escape and bring you down.
You know how you would describe your eyes. IMHO, something, evolution or creation, maybe even Aliens intended us to consume flesh.

And that would be a naturalistic fallacy, something pertinent to the thread topic. Also, from what I understand, evolution doesn't work on a telelogical principle, but that's a discussion for another thread. For the record, I don't have an opinon on the health implications of a meat diet vs. a vegetarian diet.

As far as the original topic, I definitely consider myself open-minded, particuarly when it comes to normative things (i.e., minority rights, polyarmorous lifestyles etc.). However, one must be sure not to be so open-minded that thier brain falls out, as my undergraduate research methods prof used to say. I'm a trained researcher, so I have to be skeptical. However, some things automatically up the intensity of my skepticism: pseudo-science, new agey stuff, NWO conspirarcy theories, truthers, birthers, self-help books, research out of partisan think tanks, etc. - basically, anything you'd hear discussed on Coast to Coast A.M. or has a very strong agenda driving it. That's not to say that I won't, prima-facie, give any of that any consideration. However, I am biased enough coming in that the level of evidence to convince me that the null hypothesis isn't true on those sorts of things needs to be pretty high.

BTW, one of my favorite websites is www.rationalwiki.org

 

[NWB]

Plus, legalizing guns totally would be like what happened with prohibition and the drug war. A HUGE waste of resources, tons of jailed people, a over-burdened society, destruction, and still the bad people will have guns.

Gotcha! (I know what you meant though)

I consider myself to be left-leaning but one thing I agree on with the right - making guns illegal is logically foolish, statistically proven to be such, and will do nothing. The culture is the problem, not the guns. And the people who advocate gun rights would fight them to the end anyways.

Exactly my thoughts too.

 

[NWB]

As far as the original topic, I definitely consider myself open-minded, particuarly when it comes to normative things (i.e., minority rights, polyarmorous lifestyles etc.). However, one must be sure not to be so open-minded that thier brain falls out, as my undergraduate research methods prof used to say. I'm a trained researcher, so I have to be skeptical. However, some things automatically up the intensity of my skepticism: pseudo-science, new agey stuff, NWO conspirarcy theories, truthers, birthers, self-help books, research out of partisan think tanks, etc. - basically, anything you'd hear discussed on Coast to Coast A.M. or has a very strong agenda driving it. That's not to say that I won't, prima-facie, give any of that any consideration. However, I am biased enough coming in that the level of evidence to convince me that the null hypothesis isn't true on those sorts of things needs to be pretty high.

Cool. A perfect summary of my views too.

Thanks much for saving me a lot of writing!

 

[Captain Chaos]

According to my dad, I'm really close minded.

 

[nickbass79]

However, one must be sure not to be so open-minded that their brain falls out, as my undergraduate research methods prof used to say.

You nailed it right there. Too bad people can't apply this to everyday life, politics, consumerism, capitalism, social issues, natural resources...etc...

 

[Shredder8]

I find as I get older, I'm more and more opened minded. I'll give anything a shot and then I'll start to make my mind up on things.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

This has really been an interesting thread. I think that a lot of people really don't think deeply about their own epistemology. I don't necessarily mean that they need to go take a philosophy course, but I don't know if people really spend a lot of time critiquing their own knowledge and how they arrived at such knowledge.

 

[knumbskull]

I'll try anything once. My parole officer says I really should stop.

 

[Simo98]

I'm very open minded in general. I'll listen to what anybody has to say and take it into consideration, even if I disagree completely, and I'll generally give pretty much anything a shot.

Though when I get in a debate I'll sometimes let my ego get in the way a little, and be too motivated on "winning". It's actually not really that I care about "winning", but rather that I really enjoy the debating process, so long as the participants remain civil.

9 times out of 10 I'll read back (or think back) over the debate several times and really absorb what the other person was saying in my own time, when I am actually debating most of what I am looking and listening for is points to bring up in my rebuttal. Debates, both online and offline, have drastically changed the way I think and continue to do so all the time.

 

[Munjibunga]

It's easy to change my beliefs as long as you can refute them with compelling evidence and argument. Otherwise, no.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Interesting list on "how open minded are you?" that I found in a quick search. Being as honest as I can with all these questions there are about 4 or 5 of these that I'd have to say don't apply to me. The other 20 or so I agree, or have no problem with at all.

It doesn't bother you to see two men kissing.

There's nothing wrong with an 18 year old dating at 45 year old.

If people should be allowed to drink alcohol, they should be allowed to smoke pot.

You don't think monogamy is necessarily the only way.

You think most illegal drugs should be legal.

You could be friends with both a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican.

You wouldn't secretly judge a friend who had an STD.

You have friends that are very rich - and friends that are very poor.

There isn't a race that you wouldn't consider dating.

You don't think any one religion is better than any other.

You aren't offended by off color jokes - even racist or sexist ones.

You aren't bothered by public nudity.

You think that everyone is probably a little bisexual.

You don't think less of someone who is on welfare.

You could potentially be friends with anyone, even someone you may dislike intensely right now.

You will try any type of food, even if it's very exotic and strange smelling.

You are open to debating your beliefs at almost any time, with anyone.

You think there may be something to astrology, tarot, and fortune telling.

It's fairly possible that your political beliefs might shift radically over time.

You listen to (and appreciate) all types of music.

You can appreciate trends without worrying about feeling trendy.

You think that it's possible that people have had contact with aliens.

You would engage someone from a strange religion who was going to door to door.

If your lover cheated on you, you would listen to their explanation and consider staying with them.

You could be convinced to change your mind on an important ethnical issue - like abortion or war.

 

[AltGrendel]

If you are really open minded, you will understand why legislating morality doesn't work.

 

[NWB]

This has really been an interesting thread. I think that a lot of people really don't think deeply about their own epistemology. I don't necessarily mean that they need to go take a philosophy course, but I don't know if people really spend a lot of time critiquing their own knowledge and how they arrived at such knowledge.

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

-Socrates

 

[Munjibunga]

Some of those fall into the category of "You believe literally that anything is possible."

I don't believe that, so I guess I am closed-minded.

 

[dragonwagon]

I have some very controversial views on things (I'm a gun-toting liberal, I think marriage of any kind should be abolished and I really hate children, etc). I'm not sure if that's being open minded or not. I do know I'm experienced, opinionated and try to learn all sides of an issue before making a decision, but dammit... I'm a human being, constantly molded by everything coming my way. It takes me years to settle on something. I doubt anyone is really open minded in the truest sense. I even think Buddhists are a bunch of grubby freeloaders (thank you Hermann Hesse). My friends are of all sexual orientations, a few religious folk, bikers, truckers, scientists, spiritual hipsters, pot heads, drunks, mechanics, musicians, artists, ranchers... but damn few of them are "open minded" in the contemporary sense.

Jury's still out on this one.