Lifehacks







A good trick for maintaining an open mind

Wednesday, 11 April 2007

Few people in today's world would admit that they don't have an open mind. Of course, everyone has a different definition of what an open mind entails. There are some behaviours I'm sure you would find totally unacceptable, that others may think are okay. And vica-versa.

When it comes to religion, politics, morals, and rules of behaviour, most people's ideas are pretty much set in stone. If somebody starts talking in a way that sounds like an opposing view, the vast majority of us would simply switch off our ears and wait for a chance to use our mouths.

"How can we convince this person that they're seeing things the wrong way and bring them around to my point of view?" is what most people will be thinking when hearing an alternative viewpoint.

We're all so sure that we're right, that we're unwilling to even consider other people's opinions. This is a shame, because it seems unlikely that every belief you hold in your head is correct. In fact, it's certain that a large number of them are just plain wrong. You're only human after all.

But overcoming the weight of in-built attitude of always assuming the moral and knowledge high-ground is difficult for most people. It's so much easier just to stubbornly keep insisting that they're right and anyone who disagrees must be evil and/or stupid.

Here's a good trick for overcoming this disability. When you get into a discussion about difficult beliefs - religion, politics, moral codes and so on - ask yourself this one simple question.

What evidence would it take to convince me my beliefs are wrong?

This question first of all forces you to at least consider the possibility that you aren't the only fountain of truth in the universe. And once you've admitted that maybe, just maybe, you could be wrong, it leaves the door open to explore under what circumstances that might be true.

Say, for example, you're a strong believer in atheism. What would it take to prove you wrong? Some kind of verifiable miracle may be a good start, but I leave the details up to you.

Or, say you think military force is the only way to deal with rogue states. What might convince you otherwise?

This is a powerful question to ask yourself when examining your beliefs. Doing so honestly, will make you a clearer and deeper thinker. It can be the difference between a person who simply revels in wishful thinking, and a heroic seeker of truth.

Take a deep look into your own belief systems, and ask yourself what evidence it would take to convince you they were wrong. It's an uncomfortable exercise, but an important one.




Self help & motivationChance plays a big part in our lives
There is a modern fad for claiming that we are entirely to blame for anything that happens to us. This philosophy is complete nonsense, as anyone who thinks about it even for a moment can surely deduce. Our decisions do play a part in our lives, but chance has a just as large, if not a larger, influence.
Self help & motivationSeven back-to-basics ingredients for leading a good life
Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in thinking big thoughts or pursuing improvement in one particular area of our lives, that we can all lose track of the big picture. That's why I think it can be good to do the odd back-to-basics post on what the main ingredients are for leading a good life.
Self help & motivationThe responsibility for learning lies with the student
We are all too used to having things served up for us on a silver platter these days. If our coffee order takes more than a few minutes, we feel it's unacceptable. If our train is slightly late, it ruins our day. If we have to wait more than a few seconds for a website to load, we click somewhere else.
Self help & motivationThe eleven biggest mistakes single men make with women
I have spent time around a lot of women, had a few girlfriends and am now married, so I've learned a few things along the way. From my own experiences and what I've observed from those around me, here are the eleven biggest mistakes men make when dealing with women.
Self help & motivationLearn how to say "no".
Some people can be very persuasive at getting us to do things we don't want to. For the selfish, greedy and power hungry of the world, convincing others to do what they want is a very important skill. You can expect them to spend a lot of time searching for and perfecting strategies for doing so.
Self help & motivationThe conditions are never going to be ideal to get started
What's interesting about the question "What can I do to improve my life?" is that most people already know the answer. They know what's missing and often exactly which steps they have to take to fix the problem. So why don't they just do it?
Self help & motivationBeware of idealists, they're often dangerous
There are all sorts of dangerous people in the world, but probably the most dangerous are idealists. By idealist, I mean someone who believes ideas are more important than practical considerations.
Self help & motivationImprovement usually requires suffering
We all want to be better people. We want to be smarter, wiser, stronger and more beautiful. Look at any magazine rack in any supermarket, and you'll see that self-improvement is on a lot of people's minds.
Self help & motivationThe enemies of depression
For many of us, being depressed is our default mood - just as being hungry is the default state of our appetite. Just as we have to feed ourselves to satisfy our appetite, there are things we have to do to keep our emotions upbeat. These things are the enemies of depression. Here are some of the main ones.
Self help & motivationMuch of success is about knowing how to anticipate problems
When I was in my teens, my friends and I were addicted to arcade games. This is a pretty typical obsession with boys. I spent lots of my pocket-money on such games and even managed to win some of them.

New articles are being added all the time, so make sure you bookmark Paul's Tips and come back.




Newsletter
Enter your email to be informed whenever a new article is added.



auch auf Deutsch verfügbar
Search
Web Paulstips.com

Rss Feed

Subscribe in NewsGator Online

Add to Google

Add to My AOL

Subscribe in Bloglines





© PRK Holdings