What exactly is wrong with being narrow-minded?

There are times when being 'narrow-minded' and 'rigid in thought' are useful skills for survival, as they keep one focused on a purpose, even if it be an unsavory one, such as war. In the heat of combat, for example, being conflicted by the thought that the enemy is sending armed women and children against you will likely ensure that you will not be going home from this battle to your own missus and bairns.

At other times, one needs to have a flexible mind in order to adapt to change, the most noticeable of late being the information age and computer technology. It has almost reached the point where without access to a computer and the internet, that one cannot function in today's society. Competition demands speed of flow of information and everything from resumes to financial transactions can be done from an internet connection these days, with no need to leave your home and find a parking space.

That is what I see as the advantages and disadvantages of having a narrow mind and a rigid focus.

 

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I also remember reading that the definition of a psychopath included the conviction that one could not be wrong in their opinion.

Frequently I have been the only dissenter in a given situation, which later proves out that I am correct.

What does that make me?

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Independent minded.

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Thank you. I am that for a fact, and have also concluded to my own satisfaction that there are very few things that I am entirely certain of except change.

For that reason I am not quick to choose one argument over another, preferring to walk the middle ground until the path finally resolves itself in one direction or another.

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Not to imply that I cannot be decisive when and where the occasion merits, lol...

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One can only "ride fences" for so long before they must decide which side to take, but a side one day has to be known or you really become to nebulous in your thinking and won't be able to become who you are and what you stand for. I mean this in a very positive way. :tempted:

 

being narrow minded means your not willing to learn your only hurting yourself no one else unless you have children and you try to push ur ideas onto them

 

The majority of things that I am 'on the fence' in regard to are conceptual in nature, and I perhaps don't agree that one need take a side where concepts are concerned, for the evidence of nature will resolve these issues when we are learned enough to comprehend the data.

My biological position is that I will yield on some issues and resist on others, preferring to leave well enough alone and find common ground, ever in search of positive and empowering solutions to challenges as they present.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed, but my 'pity parties' are generally of short duration before I start making lemonade out of the lemons that life occasionally tosses one's way.

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A drunk driver broadsided my car on Sunday a.m. while I was stopped at the light at an intersection. A high speed impact and my little car may well be a financial statistic once the quotes are in.

Lo and behold, the dealership presently has 0% financing over 6 years with 0% down, and an enhanced safety featured version of my present vehicle in the showroom.

It's a done deal. Picking it up in a couple of days. The economy needs a boost, so I may as well contribute and give them my hard earned wages, lol... It's red with dark interior......Scorpio colors.

(I am not an astrology fanatic, by the way. It's just fun to see what reactions one gets from others at the mention of astrology and Scorpio, since so many people have such skewed ideas on the topic. I am the devil's advocate.)

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(Note to mods. - If it is problematical to post this image for any reason of forum political correctness, I will understand if you delete it.)

 

Have you experienced other people trying to push their ideas onto you? If so, what was your reaction and how did you respond?

 

That's a bummer but thankfully you are alright and that's the best thing about your accident to bad about your car though.

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That's understandable for "concepts" are always in flux and things change moment by moment at times with them. But unfortunatly today we must decide from which of the worse because no matter what you decide either way you lose. It's just how much loss will happen today or how much worse it will be.

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That's what I meant by "getting off the fence" for at times you must decide which is the better of the worse. Todays world it seems its deciding which to choose from bad or even worse.

 

yes religious people do ALL THE @#%@^ time. i respond with I respect your faiths and beliefs please respect mine and dont try to pursuade me to yours.

im talking small children not adults

 

Thanks, cosmic. I have been reflecting on what an example the moment of impact was in regards to 'free will'. I had absolutely no free will to do anything in regard to this incident. I was just in the wrong place at the right time, following my usual schedule of travel.

It amazes me how incensed some people get in defending that which is currently unprovable. Until the evidence is conclusive, I see no harm in examining all possible options, because the short coming of our species is that we frequently only 'see' the evidence that supports what we are looking for rather than merely observing and noting ALL of the details.

I agree that sometimes our options fall somewhere between 'bad' and 'worse'. For that reason I attempt to choose my battles with care. If I truly thought that I could make a difference, I would have followed one life path that presented leading into the arena of politics.

My grandfather was sought as a candidate by both the provincial and federal system of his day, and declined for a number of reasons as he did not perceive the party system as working in the best interests of the majority of people.

For the same reason, I also declined and remain a 'free radical', that I may endorse or harry all governments equally.

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Yes. One wants to be respectful of the minds of small children as they are easily influenced for good or harm.

As a child who was indoctrinated early in life into religion and sent door to door as an early teenager, I look back on that part of my life with horror.

I was so sincere and very distressed that these nice people might possibly go to hell. Fortunately, one nice lady took me inside and explained a few things to me that set my mind in motion to break free of the conditioning that the religious ones were attempting to indoctrinate me into.

Those who set me on this path have since apologized and stated that they should not have done so. Rather they would have permitted us to make our own choice in this regard.

Now, just for giggles, I offer to indoctrinate the committed to the path of pagan druidry, if they are adults, and that seems to have taken me off the mandatory visit list. Yes, I suppose I'm on the road to hell in a hand basket.

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An umitigated smart-ass.

 

LOL.........

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5blbv4WFriM

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oke:

 

Lucky. Just lucky.

 

The comforts of being right are not to be underestimated.

 

In the context of the OP, "narrow" and "rigid" are relative terms.

Everyone is relatively "narrow" and "rigid" about their positions and beliefs; they are also relatively "broad minded" and "flexible".

It's a matter of degree along a spectrum.

To be completely absolutely broad and flexible and "open minded" would be an untenable, and probably impossible, state resembling some hypothetical "zen" consciousness whereby the Buddhist attains a state of "emptying" his mind; etc. (And there's nothing more obnoxious than a Western relativist claiming to be absolutely open-minded when it's obvious to anyone with a lick of sense that he's not.)

The point is not to be too rigid and narrow (and also not to be too broad-minded and flexible) -- though, of course, "too much" either way is also relative and subjective and often entails tendentious partisan stances whereby one's pet ideology dictates what is "too rigid" in the positions of others, and what is not.

All that said, it doesn't mean I'm not right and you're not wrong.

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Ha! Grrrr.

 

when one solidifies ones opinion as to what is right and what is wrong,
1, creates division between oneself and another
2, prevents oneself from gaining more wisdom/knowledge
3, creates a 'us vs them' attitude
4, <insert other consequences here>


who/what determines what is right and what is wrong?
this is a human condition that is reinforced by social contacts, what is right for one group is wrong for another, what you label right/wrong is usually determined by the social circles and vocational influences,(more the former than the latter)

 

I just got a bad case of the giggles when I read this. The Amish aren't so narrow-minded. I lived near Amish peeps and let me tell ya they know how to improvise. Are open minded enough to have non-Amish lads drive them around and to use other people's electric equipment to do work.

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