Is being open-minded a virtue, if it’s causing destructive ideas to spread throughout society?

2017-04-09T23:50:27-04:00

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Apr 10 at 2017 1:43 AM

2017-04-10T01:43:12-04:00

Yes. the way to defeat toxic ideas is with good ideas.

Response by PFC Jonathan Albano made Apr 10 at 2017 2:16 AM

2017-04-10T02:16:08-04:00

Yes, it's still a virtue- and I would argue that it isn't the open minded individuals who are mainly at fault for the spread of destructive ideas. Part of being open minded is having a willingness to consider other ideas but weigh the benefits and harm of different options before making a decision. Another part is being willing to reconsider your stance on a subject in light of new evidence. No part of being open minded forces somebody to act on or tolerate destructive ideas. Sound judgment does not go out the window just because you are willing to keep an open mind. One could even say that sound judgment is, in fact, a crucial part of truly being open minded. It's, instead, narrow minded individuals who are mainly at fault for the spread of destructive ideas. Once a narrow minded individual gets something ingrained in their brain, it's easier to push a 1 ton boulder up a hill than to talk them about their beliefs.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2017 8:22 AM

2017-04-10T08:22:45-04:00

Ideas are not destructive. People who use ideation towards negative ends are destructive.
The latter notion is the one which our society is contending with.

For example, the notion that Black Lives Matter is perfectly reasonable. Many of the issues the group brings to the fore are worthy of discussion, and some of the police interactions that sparked the movement in the first place were truly heinous and worthy of protest.
What is not ok is to use the BLM events as an opportunity to light fires, loot, and otherwise accost passers-by. When that happens, the message gets lost and the situation devolves to rioting.
I can think of countless examples of this, but that was the first that came to mind.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2017 9:04 AM

2017-04-10T09:04:48-04:00

Being Open-Minded does not preclude one from recognizing facts and thinking critically.
I consider myself open-minded, but I wouldn't adopt a rabid raccoon or befriend a convicted serial killer.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Apr 10 at 2017 9:48 AM

2017-04-10T09:48:10-04:00

Too much of anything can be a detriment to your health and likewise to society. If you don't live a healthy lifestyle, you can get overweight, sick, or any number of health complications that arise from that condition. But if you do live a healthy lifestyle, you still run the risk of health complications. You could over exert yourself. You could develop an eating disorder. You could injure yourself.

But even with the risks associated with living a healthy lifestyle, I'm not going to tell people not to live healthy because they might hurt themselves.

So yes. Being open-minded is a virtue because it allows us to be more accepting of people who may not do things exactly how we do things. But like I mentioned in my example, good or bad, when taken to the extremes they can be detrimental to us.

So it's not necessarily being open-minded which is causing destructive ideas to spread through society. It's the people who take these things to the extremes.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2017 4:15 PM

2017-04-10T16:15:57-04:00

I agree with PO3 Dale S. PFC Jonathan Albano & SFC Dennis A. on their posts, so won't repeat much of what they've said. A truly open-minded person will remain open-minded, always willing to consider new information and constantly adjusting his or her course based on the understood value of that information. Open-minded people still have value sets, though and are based in those values, so they won't just follow any course willy nilly; they'll have to be convinced that a certain course has significant value to move them very far from that basic value set, too. It doesn't mean their minds are blank slates willing to go wherever the wind blows them. They do have a starting point.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Apr 11 at 2017 10:15 AM

2017-04-11T10:15:59-04:00

It depends on what you mean by open minded. As someone once said, you can "entertain an idea without accepting it." And you can "hold two conflicting ideas in your mind" without exploding. This is just being rational and evaluating things. Maybe there is something of value in this new idea to either change your mind or add nuance to your world view.

OTOH, often times "having an open mind" means having no discernment and taking the approach that all ideas & values are equal. That's just silly.

Response by SSG Patrick Williams made Apr 13 at 2017 2:48 PM

2017-04-13T14:48:31-04:00

Open minded without a system of morals and values, is what has been destructive.