There is some mental work involved in being open-minded; it isn’t always as simple as it seems. It is imperative to consider other people’s opinions other than your own because we live in an ever-polarized world, and those ‘other people’ do not always have to be the complete opposite of you.
According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, humans prefer to interact with like-minded people. It makes it easier to talk, but it does not open your mind or broaden your perspective. A consultant for EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, John Brown, explains that the brain thinks in whole ideas, referred to as “schemas.”
Physiological responses, beliefs, and life experiences constitute your schema, and you can visualize it using Venn diagrams. Brown goes on to say that people become extremely defensive when their existing ideas are challenged. Let’s look at some of the ways you can train your mind to be open-minded.
Avoid Negative Thoughts
Hearing new ideas might sometimes cause you to jump to negative thoughts like, ” that might not work, no one is ever going to hire me, I don’t look beautiful,” and so on. You tend to forget that whatever you train your mind is what it adopts. Exaggerated negative thoughts prevent you from embracing the positive.
Talk To A Neutral Party
Being open to something new requires talking about the situation with someone else. This helps people make difficult decisions and resolve ambivalence using simple listening skills.
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Make a point to expand your circle, interact with people who have a different mindset from yours. Once a week, listen to that genre of music you thought you didn’t like. Try new food. Don’t watch or listen to one point of view when it comes to politics. Instead, push yourself into doing the things that scare you.
Practice Mindful Meditation
Incorporate mindfulness into your daily rituals. Open your mind to new ideas while letting the old ones that no longer serve us go. Research says that the brain can actually begin to function differently because of this practice.
