What is true open-mindedness?

Question: What is true open-mindedness!?

Is it rejecting the norm or is it accepting and rejecting all ideologies equally using the same criteria of analysis!?

I ask this because many atheists claim to be open-minded and free-thinking individuals, but the flaw:

God cannot be proved nor disproved!.

So how can open-mindedness be rejecting one ideology over the other of which can be judged under the same standard, ie the exsistance or non-exsistance of God!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

i think that true open-mindedness is achieved when one does not include themselves in any way to the outcome of the situation!. they cannot include their thoughts, opinion, or beliefs!. we all live in our own subjective universe, so how is it possible to expect someone to just be able to take themselves entirely out of their way of consciousness, and suddenly be able to see through someone else's eyes!. i don't believe it is possible!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Open-minded people judge people and ideas on their own merits, not by one's own preconcieved notions and expectations!. The difficult part is separating merits from biases!. True open mindeded is a rare state that no one is in all of the time and some people seem to never achieve!.

As far as the atheists, I don't see them infringing on open mindedness just because they don't believe in god!. The burden of proof lies on theists!. It's not up to atheists to disprove, just as it is not up to a defendant to disprove accusations!. And since theists cannot prove their claim, isn't it reasonable to reject their argument!? If any either side is being close minded, it's the theists who believe, without proof, that their god exists and reject other gods or the possibility of no god!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

True open-mindedness means being open to the truth!. If one is willing to follow the logic and/or the evidence to the truth regardless of the cost is true open-mindedness!. If this is open-mindedness then the question is by what method can one find the truth!. If we accept that the use of reason is the only method of finding truth, which religion rejects because it accepts the notion of revelation, then it is not closed minded for one to reject the notion of a God!. Logically it follows that it's up to the person making an argument for the existence of something to prove it not the person denying it!. Would it follow that it's being closed minded if you reject the possibility of Santa Claus!? After all Santa Claus is unproven possibility!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think you necessarily have to have NO beliefs to be open minded, but I think you have to have reasons behind your beliefs, and you have to have considered the alternative!. I have considered the idea that there is no God, but decided ultimately that I was happier believing that there is a God, so I do!. But I respect others who believe differently, and I don't think that their beliefs are any less valid than my own!. That's my definition of open-mindedness: considering other viewpoints from all perspectives before landing on one!. In my experience, the people who most vehemently claim to be open-minded are in fact, not!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think the answer to this question has many layers, but here are some of the criteria that I think make up open-mindedness:

The ability to reserve judgement on any issue before having the ability to receive and process all information to develop an opinion!.!.!.including thinking something is "weird" because it is new to you!.

The ability to remove your "self" from any situation and consider it objectively!.

The ability to not take yourself too seriously!. I can't stress the importance of this one - too often someone has a unique or trendy idea and because they have this knowledge or idea they put themselves "higher" than others yet still consider themselves open minded!. This appears foolish to those who truly are!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

True open-mindedness is believing in nothing since everything is relative and changing!. No one can be this open-minded since his or her defense to questions is to have no opinion on the subject!. Athiests are often more open-minded than theists--they are open to all kinds of things--but it must be noted as you put it that they reject some things!. I am a Christian and do not have a problem with athiests calling me narrow-minded!. I am narrow-minded since I have to do what I am told according to the Bible!. There is no criteria or analysis with your "true open-mindedness!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think true open mindedness would be accepting EVERY ideology, that just wouldn't be possible!. I think it is accepting the possibility that every ideology has the same chance of being right and true!.
Of course, everyone has bias, so it's almost impossible to be completely open minded!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Only an idiot could be completely open-minded!. They don't have a brain in their head to judge right from wrong, to accept or reject ideas, to process literally anything anyone says!. If only dead people could come back and at least let us know the existance of anything beyond our realm!. That would trully be a miracle I would consider!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Knowledge and experience often create the parameters for what we consider open-mindedness or being closed to new ideas!. What needs to be considered is the idea of being open to something we do not know or had not thought of!. My small analogy is, parachutes and minds work much better when open!. What you do with the information is up to you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Being open to all possibilities and not judging people by their choices!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The problem with having too much of an open mind is that your brains will fall out!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think that anyone is truly open minded, we all have something that creates a little "tunnel vision!."Www@QuestionHome@Com