Lunch Hour: Not too tough keepin an open mind

Keep an open mind! – this is a common phrase we keep encountering daily. Apparently it’s tough to go on in life with an open mind, nevertheless, not too tough pragmatically.

Positivity and growth are complementary to each other with open-mindedness. That supports towards taking risks, grabbing opportunities, managing uncertainties and understanding people and things around. No doubt, open-minded people are also seen more  kind and generous.

Open mindedness is such a difficult state to sustain that we are always reminded of that. We within our brains continuously look for easy ways and shortcuts. This is where the natural balance of open mindedness gets disturbed. This way being so hasty we try to save mental energy. And then the hurry ends up making wrong judgements about people and world around.

Two more factors practically influence our psyche. The more we are successful the harder we are about to resist new ideas. In the same manner once we consider ourselves as the expert of our field, we automatically go closed-minded to alternative viewpoints.

Let us work at it to maintain open mind. And to achieve this aim, we have to go on strategically working at it. Though our brains most of the time controls us through our activities but at the same time we are able to change the way we think. For the expansion of our observations we need to start paying attention first of all.

Harvard psychology professor Ellen Langer says that assuming thinking as stressful and exhausting is the mistake we regularly make. At the same time the reality is actually all the mindless negative evaluations we make is stressful and stressful also is the worry that we are going to encounter problems but will not be able to solve them.

For acquiring open mindedness we need to practice to be a better listener. While trying to give way to this great quality called open mindedness, you have to keep avoiding anticipating negative outcomes. And the best thing about open mindedness is the optimism or in other words you have to seek the grey areas even when there is all dark before you.