Practice being open-minded

learning | ▲ difficulty | ⏳ 1 hour minimum

Step-by-step guide

OK, let’s get started.

Step 1: Choose your topic

Think long and hard about something you don’t agree with. It can be anything — pick an opinion, perspective, or way of living that is different from yours.

Here are a few ideas to get your wheels turning…

• Being conservative / being liberal

• Living a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle / living a carnivorous lifestyle

• Living religiously / living agnostically or atheist

• Being a stay-at-home parent / being a working parent

• Polygamy / monogamy

• Censorship / freedom of speech

You don’t need to choose a grandiose topic like the ones above, but hopefully these get some ideas brewing for what you want to focus on.

Step 2: Choose a learning method

Once you have the topic that you want to learn more about, determine an optimal method to learn about this topic. 

• If you’re a reader… choose a book related to your topic, or research your topic on the internet and read about the opposing view. 

• If you’re an auditory learner… consider an audiobook or listen to a podcast to learn more about your topic.

• If you’re a visual learner… look for a documentary on your topic and watch the whole way through. 

For example, if you eat meat and decide you want to better understand vegetarianism/veganism, perhaps you dive into the book or audiobook, Eating Animals, or you watch the official documentary.

Alternatively, this cozo is a great opportunity to connect with someone in your network who has a difference in opinion and then for you to try and understand their perspective. Just remember that this cozo isn’t about debating a topic. It’s about you seeking to understand the other side.

Step 3: Dive in and keep these things in mind

Once you identify the topic and you’re ready to dive into a difference of opinion, do your best to absorb the information with an open mind. Resist the urge to judge. 

Remind yourself that if we were all the same, life would be boring. There is a reason why humans are the smartest creatures on planet Earth. Our brains have the capacity to create and process highly complex ideas. It is this complexity and abstractness that makes life beautiful. It is our differences that keep things interesting.

As they say, there are two sides to everything.

Relevant links:

• Open-Minded Personality Test Take a quick personality test to see how open-minded you are

• The benefits of being open-minded Characteristics of open-minded people and the benefits associated with open-mindedness

• How to be more open-minded 9 quick exercises to try today