Seven signs of narrowness and how to get rid of them.

Do you consider yourself an open-minded person? Most people would say yes. Paradoxically, such an answer shows your narrowness, because you refuse to admit your shortcomings.

Narrowness is manifested in the inability to accept various ideas or opinions. It is easy to find it in others, but each of us has experienced prejudice against various issues and topics. How can we identify and manage this behavior, and how can we change from a narrow mind to a broad mind?

A sign of narrow-mindedness

There are many forms of closed thinking. The most extreme are religious fundamentalism, xenophobia, homophobia and misogyny. However, narrow-mindedness is more common than many people think. It is hidden in the corner of our deepest beliefs, cultural values and interpersonal judgments. Whenever we make judgments based on internal mental models, universal laws or first impressions, we will show a narrow mind.

Narrow thinking is rooted in fear: fear of mistakes, fear of the unknown and fear of change. A broader view will cause confusion. Constantly adjusting one's world outlook requires more efforts than simply sticking to one's established views. Adhering to a broad vision means accepting the complexity of the world, which in itself scares us so much that we prefer to stay in the comfort zone of simple-and sometimes trivial-beliefs.

Closed thinking is a typical example of Deng Ning-Kruger effect, that is, we don't know what we don't know. So, how do we recognize it in ourselves and others?

Ray Dalio, the founder of Qiaoshui Company, pointed out seven key signs of closed thinking in his book Principles. Review the list and honestly answer your own question: Do I do this sometimes? What topic or situation will trigger this behavior?

1. You don't want your idea to be challenged. Closed-minded people are more interested in correctness than in exploring other people's opinions and asking questions. If you do something wrong, you will feel very sad, and if you can't make others agree with you, you will feel depressed.

2. Your assertions are more frequent than your questions. Open-minded people often ask many questions.

You focus on being understood, not understanding the people around you. Narrow-minded people, when someone disagrees with their own views, are more likely to think that they don't understand, rather than that they don't understand each other's views.

4. You said, "I may be wrong, but ..." Ray Daglio called it "a casual gesture to convince people to have a wide range of views and let people stick to their own views".

5. You stop others from talking. Narrow-minded people don't give others a chance to express their opinions.

6. You find it difficult to hold two ideas in your mind at the same time. For an open-minded person, there are several conflicting concepts in his mind, and it is usually not difficult to transfer from one concept to another.

7. You lack a deep sense of humility. Of course, many people consider themselves modest. But often our self-awareness will hinder our thinking. Humility is accompanied by failures, and narrow-minded people try to avoid these failures by sticking to what they think they know.

Of course, you are unlikely to show all seven signs of stenosis all the time. If you are, it is difficult for you to read this article now. But these standards can help you find the narrowness of yourself and others in some situations or when discussing specific topics.

For example, you may have a very broad view on immigration and abortion, you may be very open to the plan of your next meeting with your friends, but you may narrowly consider some sensitive issues with your parents.

The benefits of being broad-minded.

It takes constant efforts to accept new ideas, but it is worthwhile. For example, research shows that a broad mind will affect our mood and make us more creative. "People with an open mind are more curious, creative and motivated to explore the world and seize new opportunities," the researchers wrote.

It is not difficult to imagine: a broad mind breeds curiosity, and curiosity allows you to make more powerful creative contributions. They can also promote metacognition, so open-minded people tend to leave more room for self-reflection and interesting questions. Finally, open-minded people are less afraid of failure. The process of creation is always learning through trial and error, that is to say, you must experience many failures to achieve the expected results.

Another study involving 340 students found that an open mind was related to higher cognitive ability. We don't know whether an open way of thinking will make you smarter or vice versa, but these two characteristics obviously go hand in hand.

Undoubtedly, in terms of creativity and cognition, an open mind will be better. So how can we encourage ourselves and others?

How to cultivate an open mind

A good way to cultivate an open mind is to consider the narrow seven key attributes pointed out by Daglio and formulate countermeasures.

Manage your emotions. Don't get angry when someone disagrees with you. Be aware that there is always the possibility that you are wrong, and it is worth considering each other's opinions to ensure that you have done nothing wrong.

Ask more questions. Asking questions is one of the best learning methods. Avoid inducing problems. Try to be honest and give each other enough room to answer.

Use the two-minute rule. Ray Dalio suggested that at least two minutes should be given to each other to express their views before defending themselves. The longer the better.

Listen. When discussing something with someone, listen to their opinions sincerely. Don't start to form an answer in your mind until he or she has finished speaking.

Expand your information diet. What grows in your spiritual garden mainly depends on the seeds you plant. Use content from different sources, so that you can compare different views instead of sticking to the established default view.

It is a continuous effort to change from narrow thinking to open thinking. You may often find yourself narrow-minded, which is nothing. The first step is to admit that you are naturally afraid of making mistakes and change your behavior by paying attention to the bias you show.