Established, since 1997, leading UK based training provider.
Celebrating 25 years in business! CPD Member - The CPD Certification Service ilm Recognised Provider

Is Being Open Minded a Good Thing?

Is Being Open Minded a Good Thing?

Is Being Open Minded a Good Thing?

All our lives, we have been told that we should "keep an open mind" and to listen to others, since everyone's opinion has value.

I used to believe that, but now I'm not so sure.

Not everyone's opinion is equally valuable.

YouTube gurus and part-time pundits love to dish-out their uninformed advice. Their audience blindly follows this defective advice in the mistaken belief that it is right to "keep an open mind on all matters", and the correct policy is to "try everything once and see what happens".

I don't think you should pick up any idea, and swallow it, any more than you should pick up a sweet off the floor and swallow that.

You wouldn't leave the front door of your house wide-open for anyone to enter; you choose to shut and lock the door and admit only those people who have the desire and ability to add value to you.

Likewise, do not allow just any idea into your mind. Only admit those voices who offer you informed, fact-based information, and reasonable deductions derived from it.

Limited time.

You only have a limited time, yet you face a limitless flood of information. So, you cannot afford to be indiscriminate in your reading and listening.

Therefore, be more selective.

Tune-out the trash.

The thing that all trashy statements have in common, is that they lack any real content; they consist mainly of arbitrary opinions, devoid of value.

Many claims are made without proof. We are left unsure what the speaker is trying to say, or how they validate their claims.

It is unnecessary to concern ourselves with every morsel of political intrigue, media madness or Facebook fiction.

Time is short, and there are better and more important things to read. We will never run out of factual reading that concerns itself with profound knowledge; scientific, technological, philosophical and social.

Skip the trash and hit the hard stuff.

Set aside and ignore the garbage that is unsuitable for your rational mind; and instead, concentrate on voices of value.

"Don't listen to the person who has the answers; listen to the person who has the questions." Albert Einstein

About the Author: Chris Farmer

Chris

Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years’ experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.

Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.

Blogs by Email

Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!

Further Reading in Personal Development

  • Fear Can Cause Failure
    The fear of failure, the fear of loss, the fear of disappointment is sufficient to stop many people from even making the attempt to win a prize. And as a result, they lose. Fear of failure causes failure.
    Read Article >
  • How to Improve Self-Confidence
    Would you like to improve your self-confidence? Even the least confident person can improve their confidence, by taking some simple steps. Check out this guide and begin your journey to becoming more self-confident, today.
    Read Article >
  • Why it is Good to be Ambitious
    When people are ambitious, they have positive goals, something to plan for and something to work towards. Planning towards a better future helps people feel stronger and more optimistic.
    Read Article >
  • How to get the best from yourself - Personal development training
    How to get the best from yourself Both in your work life and in your home life, you need to get the best from the others around you. In order to get the best from others, you must first learn to get the best from yourself. Before you can hope to...
    Read Article >
  • Improve your people management skills
    People management skills How can you get the best from yourself and others? Answer: develop your: "People management skills" People management skills are the "soft skills". Some people develop them all naturally; and sadly, others don't. Do you know anyone with good technical skills, but poor people management skills? The...
    Read Article >

Looking for Personal Development Training?

If you're looking to develop your Personal Development Skills, you may find this Personal Development Training Course beneficial:

Open Training Course Pricing and Availability

23 - 24 May
Online - Teams
£900 +VAT
12 - 13 June
Birmingham
£900 +VAT
12 - 13 June
London - Central
£900 +VAT
17 - 18 June
Cheltenham Gloucestershire
£900 +VAT
More dates and locations available
Save £100 on this course

Next Open Course Starts in 8 days, Online - Teams, places available Book Now >