I’m sure at one time or another (probably at several), you’ve heard someone joyously talk about some new person they met, and how amazing that person was, partly because they were so open-minded. You may have had this experience yourself. After all, who likes to have a conversation with somebody who isn’t willing to budge one inch when it comes to their beliefs and mindset?
You do.
If they agree with what you say.
See, this is the semi-hidden reality about open minded and close minded people. What people enjoy is someone who agrees with them. They could not care less if the person is close minded, as long as their “stuck” beliefs are in alignment with theirs. We enjoy “open minded” people, simply because they are quick to agree with us when we present new ideas. And if an “open minded” person simply feels there isn’t enough evidence for what you tell them, you’ll call that person close minded too, even if they aren’t.
The bottom line is that if a close minded person disagrees with us, we call them close minded, and if a close minded person agrees with us, we call them intelligent. And the same applies for open minded people. To lay it out more clearly:
Close-minded, agrees with us. Intelligent.
Close-minded, disagrees with us. Close-minded.
Open-minded, agrees with us. Open-minded (Intelligent).
Open-minded, disagrees with us. Close-minded.
See how simple it is? It’s about nothing but agreement. We enjoy people who agree with us. It’s not about open minded or close minded. You only recognize a close minded person as close minded if their ideas clash with yours, and you only recognize an open minded person as open minded if they change their ideas to match yours. So the next time you have a great time visiting with someone who was quick to adopt your viewpoints as their own, be honest and say “I enjoyed spending time with that person so much because they agreed with everything I said!”
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