Almost anybody you can ask has their opinion about everything. Their opinion may be true, untrue, proven or in doubt. It might be personal, conditioned by family upbringing, determined by situations, social background, culture, religion, or politics. But the fact remains that everybody has already made-up their minds about most of the things in life. These opinions are our schemas. For the purpose of simplicity, schemas can be described in the context of this article as a framework of interpretations of anything. In other words, everybody have their own framework of interpretations. If everybody have their own framework of interpretations, then open-mindedness is definitely not prevalent.

1. The Psychology of Open-Mindedness
Is Open-Mindedness Prevalent?
Almost anybody you can ask has their opinion about everything. Their opinion may be true,
untrue, proven or in doubt. It might be personal, conditioned by family upbringing,
determined by situations, social background, culture, religion, or politics. But the fact
remains that everybody has already made-up their minds about most of the things in life.
These opinions are our schemas. For the purpose of simplicity, schemas can be described in
the context of this article as a framework of interpretations of anything. In other words,
everybody have their own framework of interpretations. If everybody have their own
framework of interpretations, then open-mindedness is definitely not prevalent.
What is open-mindedness?
Open-mindedness can be described as a process of setting-aside one's framework of
interpretations and examining another person's framework of interpretations on its own merit
without the interference or imposing one's personal framework of interpretations. And if the
framework of interpretations of the other person is found to be more accurate and effective,
then logically the other person's framework of interpretations should be adopted or accepted.
Or if both frameworks of interpretations have equally good points, then a new combined
compilation can be utilized. Why is this necessary?
1. Open-mindedness is necessary for critical thinking. Imagine if you were a chief aeroplane
designer and you work is critical, as the lives of countless passengers are dependent on your
design being accurate in terms of safety. If a colleague through his framework of
interpretations proofs that your design has a flaw, will you be open-minded to examine the
feedback or will you exercise your rank and authority to reject the feedback because it goes
against your ego? I wouldn't want to fly on a plane designed by a close-minded designer
whose ego gets in the way of critical thinking.
2. Open-mindedness is necessary for new learning and new information. I know of university
lecturers who stick to their favourite authors and just update occasionally the versions which
they use as a reference for their lectures. The result of such practice leads to a limited
perspective of learning and exposure to new information both for the lecturers and also their
students. Another result is the lecturers become dogmatic about their perspectives of a
respective subject due to conditioned ignorance through lack of new learning and
information. This practice is one form of academic close-mindedness. Why do they do it?
You should ask them the next time a lecturer insists on sticking to his favourite author. You
will be surprised at the rationalizations that lecturers can come with; to stick to their limited
framework of interpretations of the subjects they are called to teach. I would suggest that any
graduate student who wants to excel academically and have a more comprehensive
understanding of a subject matter do more diverse readings other then the favourite text
recommended by their lecturers.
3. Open-mindedness is necessary for being creative. Creativeness is basically the process of
using original thinking to come-up with innovative conceptions for development of new
(non-existent) products or services and also for resolving existing problems with existing

2. products and services. Now, creativeness cannot be employed without being open-minded.
An example would be, you are called to innovate a new medium of storage for computers.
What would you do? Will you start by isolating yourself from other experts on the subject,
rejecting all current information or will you work with related people of the industry as a
team, utilizing critical thinking, existing information and seeking new information to expedite
creativity. Creative people tend to be open-minded and would always examine the past,
present and future of any information for the purpose of innovation.
4. Open-mindedness is necessary for holistic growth. What would happen if an adult is
conditioned from childhood to have a mono-framework of interpretation about life and
everything in life? Would you like to have that person as your marriage partner? Would you
like to have that person as your university roommate? Would you elect that person as you
Member of Parliament? Would you trust your life or the lives of your family into that
person's hand? Just like a plant that needs a variety of resources for healthy growth, open-
mindedness is one of the core psychological processes that need to be developed for a holistic
growth for a balance, stable and matured individual. Many personality problems can be
traced to individuals who have a narrow or limited framework of interpretations that shows
itself in social and vocational situations.
Is Dogmatism a Clue to the Lack of Open-Mindedness?
Some people have a song and it goes like this: "my way or no way…" This song sometimes
becomes the trademark of certain organizations and individuals who bask in their past glories
while losing grounds to the competitors. Many businesses lose millions of dollars in profit in
sacrifice to maintaining iconic leaders whose dogmatism is considered sacred. Dogmatism is
one of the causes for failure in many negotiations whether private or public. Dogmatism is
also the cause for a lot of conflicts and violence in our current world. Dogmatism is the
trademark of the bullies in schools or working places; control-freaks in organizations;
individuals with despotic behaviours and manipulative individuals. Dogmatism leads to
fanaticism. One cannot be dogmatic and open-minded at the same time. One cannot examine
another framework of interpretation without biasness while dogmatically holding on to one's
own framework of interpretation.
What open-mindedness is not?
Dogmatism is counterproductive to open-mindedness. But at the same time, open-mindedness
is not to be construed wrongly. The following are what open-mindedness is not:
1. Open-mindedness is not being stupid or in-opinionated. People who are open-minded can
be very intelligent and can have clear and strong opinions. The difference is in how they
exercise, regulate, assess, present, and are willing to adjust or forego their opinions according
to the principles and process of open-mindedness.
2. Open-mindedness is not being a spineless jellyfish that is swept by the waves of opinions.
It is wrong to assume that open-minded persons are gullible fools who can be tricked or
manipulated by fanciful opinions that have no substance or credibility. Open-minded persons
first attempt to understand the details of the framework of interpretations of others on its own
merits. Then, they assess and compare their framework of interpretations against the others.'

3. Their decision to adopt or reject either or both of the frameworks of interpretations would be
based on the principles of effectiveness and optimum benefit for all parties involved.
3. Open-mindedness is not a product of emotional decision making. Open-mindedness is
rational, factual, critical, and inquisitive and includes the principles of cost and benefit for all
parties. It will not be swayed by partisan spirit, gossip, rumour or greediness. It will reject all
forms of one-sidedness but seek for benefit of all parties concern.
4. Open-mindedness is not to be used for the violation of any form of legitimate rights, laws
or natural justice. People who are open-minded will not allow themselves to be pawns for the
violation of any legitimate rights, laws or the natural justice principles of other people. At the
same time, open-minded persons will not allow others to exploit them. For example, if a
person willingly gives up his/her personal rights for the benefit of others, it is his/her choice
to act in charity for another's benefit. But open-mindedness cannot be used as an excuse to
force others to give-up or violate their personal rights. Many non-profit and voluntary groups
have a tendency to violate the rights of their staff on the presumption that their staff has to be
open-minded when working in a charitable context. This presumptions and violations of staff
rights is not open-mindedness but in many instances exploitations. The principle is clear;
anything taken or required from another beyond the limits of responsibility and the call of
duty, without spontaneous voluntary consent is violation of another's rights.
How to practice Open-Mindedness?
Can the process of open-mindedness be inculcated in a deliberate and conscious manner? The
answer is yes. Here is how it can be done:
1. We must first admit that we all have our personal framework of interpretations for
everything. When we put-on a show that we are selfless persons with no personal framework
of interpretations, we deceive ourselves first and then others. Can you find one human being
who is totally selfless and open-minded? Even demigods in mythologies are described as
having an ego and personal framework of interpretations. I am especially careful of persons
who trumpet the selflessness and open-mindedness. Selflessness and open-mindedness can be
experienced without the need for promotion and marketing. What is needed is the practice
and not the proclamations.
2. We must understand that having a personal framework of interpretations is not wrong.
There is no call to be an in-opinionated person. Rather it is the misuse of the personal
framework of interpretations at the expense of effectiveness, productivity and the disregard of
other people's useful framework of interpretations that creates problems.
3. We must habitually set-aside our framework of interpretation while we examine the
framework of interpretations of others in order to avoid prejudice and biasness. When I say
set-aside, I mean that we should attempt to totally focus and view the framework of
interpretation that is being presented to us without thinking of ours.
4. We must habitually adopt or accept either partially or wholly another person's framework
of interpretations when it is equal to or better than ours. We should adopt or accept another
person's framework of interpretations wholly if it is better than ours. We should combine our
and the other person's framework of interpretations if is equally good.

4. 5. We must habitually learn to ask for a third party's assessment of our and another person's
framework of interpretations. In doing so, we must seek the assistance of third parties that are
not representative or has a conflict of interest with either of us.
6. We must habitually and proactively seek new knowledge, information and learning. This
would create the conditioning to be open-minded in our approach to life and everything about
life and work. In short, we must always seek another framework of interpretations as an
alternative perspective.
7. We must be alert that in seeking open-mindedness, we do not violate the rights of others.
Violation of other peoples' rights does not constitute open-mindedness. Even when we
perceive that another person's framework of interpretation is not right, we can negotiate and
establish a dialogue for arriving on a mutual agreement on the differences. We cannot impose
our framework of interpretations by manipulation, force or duress. Where we can agree, we
agree and where we cannot agree, we must respect the other person's framework of
interpretation.
8. We must habitually practice to respect personalities in the event of a difference with their
framework of interpretations. Having a different framework of interpretations from ours does
not make others our enemies. It is only a clue that there is an opportunity for dialogue,
interaction and possible learning.
What we need in our families, work places, study places, society, and in the global village is
open-mindedness. The more open-minded we become, the more human we will become in
our decision and behaviours. The more human we become, the more we will appreciate and
treasure the humanity of all persons in our global village. If there is a way to save ourselves
from destroying each other, we should begin the journey for healing and caring through the
process of open-mindedness. We already have established enough reasons, symbols, myth
and rationalizations to differ from each other. We should focus not on our differences which
as humans we will always have but rather we should focus on our similarities that can draw
us together. And similarities can only be perceived by minds that are open-minded.