DAY 45 – KEY ASPECT: AN OPEN MIND (OBJECTIVITY)

I am watching a sci-fi movie. The main character is looking in the mirror and sees his head locked in a gigantic clamp that lets nothing new and different entire his mind. When he reads something he never lets it dissuade him from his existing beliefs. When he hears something that is contrary to his views he instantly rejects it. Whatever he already believes he continues to believe in its validity for the rest of his life.

People think about and discuss life all the time. One person will have a thought about how to remedy an existing problem or to prevent problematic situations from developing. The next person will have another way of dissecting a situation. When you go down the chain of people each of us comes into contact with there are numerous avenues of diagnosis, beliefs and remedies that fill the human mind.

For some, they do not let new ideas and information enter into the equation. They ignore the possibility that their thoughts may have no factuality or validity to them. They do not comprehend that there may be a better way of living life and conducting human affairs. Rigidity of thought keeps so many people bound to what they believe and only their ways of thinking about life is worthy of merit.

All of this allows no room for individual growth and understanding. How often do you find a young child adamant to do something even if his or her parents show how dangerous or problematic that could be? Adults can be just as closed minded when they do not want to hear and fully consider something that is contrary to what they already have an opinion about.

Imagine what went through the minds of people a few hundred years ago when they first heard that the earth was round and not flat. There had to be masses of people who rejected that idea which was completely different than what they were told while growing up. The inability to be open to anything outside of one’s unwavering thoughts is a problem that humanity has to overcome if we are to remedy human difficulties.

There often is a tug of war between those who want to consider new ideas and those who reject them. In each situation we have to determine whether the norm or the new idea is better. Neither side can reject the other side out of hand if we are to find the best course of action. Societal advancements can be hindered and slowed because of those who do not put a good faith effort into hearing and trying to understand both what we have inherited and what is new.

Human progress requires humanity to relish in what our ancestors have bequeathed to us while simultaneously letting go of what we inherited that may be deficient in some form or another. An openness to ideas that may seem foreign and unusual at first is where humanity needs to go if we are to take giant strides forward instead of the gradual small steps that often accompany human advancement. It may have taken decades or longer for our ancestors to change their ways but eventually they were able to change the status quo when it was wanting and we who are alive today should do the same.

When I stopped watching the sci-fi movie I now realize that when I am presented with a new idea or way of living life I need to approach it with an openness that allows me to become objective to its potential for being more beneficial for myself, my fellow human beings and planet earth than my present beliefs and actions. Anything less keeps me stuck where I am and not moving forward as best as I can.