Tag: close minded

Open Minded

barnstormingblog3 Comments

mejierface

 

Although I favor the open mind, I certainly do not advocate that the mind should be so open that the brains fall out.
~Arthur Hays Sulzberger  — New York Times publisher from 1935-1961 from “Freedom of Information” 

 

bleedingheartsclose

 

I tell you this
to break your heart,
by which I mean only
that it break open and never close again
to the rest of the world.
— Mary Oliver from New and Selected Poems, Volume Two

 

redbegonia52018

 

Few things are as condemning in this day and age than being accused of being close-minded.  In religion and politics, the most zealous liberals and hard-core conservatives are the least likely to see another point of view, much less tolerate it.

There is no chance of growth or redemption when there is no openness and willingness to change, to admit one could be a little bit misinformed or just plain wrong.

But I’ve known those who are so open-minded, there is nothing left inside their head but “whatever”:

~~It doesn’t matter,
anything goes,
if it works for you,
who am I to judge,
it’s a free country,
consenting adults and all that~~

No boundaries, no barriers, all windows flung ajar and liberating breezes coming and going, no foundational beliefs, and then common sense is hopelessly robbed blind.

It is a terribly empty void to behold.

As for me, moderate middle-of-the-road person that I am, I strive to remain unlocked and ready to answer the knock on the door of my convictions and opinions to see who or what may be there, to be receptive to some possibility other than what I think I see and know.

In reality I’d rather be open-hearted over open-minded.  It is far riskier, this bleeding of the heart until empty when touched, bruised or pierced.   Perhaps a lot messier too.

Intentional bleeding, not accidental.  Such a Love spilled from an open beating Heart followed by a flood of profound and forever undeserved Grace.

May that Heart break at the folly of our emptiness and never again close to the world.

 

 

whitepeony

A Bit Messy

barnstormingblog2 Comments

“Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out.”
— G.K. Chesterton

Few things are as condemning in this day and age than being accused of being close-minded.  In religion and politics, the most zealous are the least likely to see another point of view, much less tolerate it.  There is no chance of growth or redemption when there is not openness and willingness to change and admit one is wrong.

But I’ve known those who are so open-minded, there is nothing left inside but “whatever.”   It doesn’t matter, anything goes, if it works for you, who am I to judge, it’s a free country.  No boundaries, no barriers, all windows and free to come and go breezes, no foundational beliefs, hopelessly robbed blind.  It is a terribly empty void to behold.

Instead I strive to remain unlocked and ready to answer the knock on the door of my convictions and opinions to see who or what may be there, to be receptive to the possibility of something other.

But in reality I’d rather be open-hearted over open-minded.  It is far riskier, this bleeding of the heart,  when touched, bruised or pierced.   Perhaps even a bit messy.

Intentional, not accidental.  Grace once spilled from an open beating heart and still does.

Always has.  Always will.

“I tell you this
to break your heart,
by which I mean only
that it break open and never close again
to the rest of the world.”
— Mary Oliver