The closed mind.

Over the past two weeks, I have been arguing more than I usually do. With a variety of people, over a variety of issues. Most of which are of no consequence (because we don't actually have any power to do anything about them), but we all feel very passionate about them. Arguments generally tend to drain me emotionally. While I like the general sportsmanly duelling of ideas between friends (much like a game of tennis), and indeed that is what my friends and I do when we meet. . . I don't like having to do it with people who I regard as closed minded.

Closed mindedness stems from some sort of belief in absolutes. It is a relatively black and white type of thinking, with the idea that there is only one (or few) right road to Rome. The individual can intuit the right way, know it from "experience", or argue for it with all the legitimate reasons why that road is best. And often the closed mindedness is not because the reasons are not right. . . but rather because there are many other good roads to Rome, and it is a matter of personal choice which one takes. Because all these other possibilities are rejected without proper consideration.

Somewhere down the line, the choice of the road to take has been confused. Because it is a choice. It is not written in stone. And even if someone has written it in stone, we don't have to follow it. We have to do what takes us where we as humans want to go. We have to take responsibility, for our security and our future. We are not stuck in some circle of cause and effect. . .self awareness and thought can allow us to take proactive decisions to break out of undesirable cycles and get into desirable ones. We decide what Rome is and what it will look like. With a very healthy dose of realism (acknowledging those cycles and understanding them) so that we are not just building Roman castles in the clouds.

One of the most pristine forms of closed mindedness is Extremism. It is a pure ideology. It goes all the way, being pure and extreme in whatever it is saying. Therefore, it has a simple unambiguous message that everyone can understand. Though in practice nothing is simple, and faced with the complexities of decision making in a complex world. . . all that extremism manages to do is dull the mind down enough so that you have followers who follow a leader. Closed mindedness is basically a phenomenon of not-thinking, an anti-ideology. And it is ironic that most ideologies in their most pristine form, taken out of context, cleaned up, and put on a pedestal. . .become anti-ideology. As dead and beautiful as idols in a temple. Inside the temples, you can worship it, but you can't really think with it. (Though what these idols represent are concepts, which are the building blocks of thought and discussion).

There is a place for not thinking. Corporate and military structures. . .indeed any hierarchial human organization would not function if followers did not follow. . .and started second guessing their commanders. Patriotism and Professionalism are beautiful idols. And these organizations can get things done with great efficiency. It seems that as nations on the whole try to get more efficient, this kind of stratification will become more and more prevalent. Trust your leader because they know what is right.

Most everyone in the world wants Peace. Yet there is war. Sometimes it is because of limited resources that one has to share, or about one ideologies prevalence over another. War is a very emotionally draining and mostly unnecessary argument. Henry Louis Mencken said: "If you want peace, work for justice."

It is difficult to have an openminded conversation about anything one does not have the power to do anything about. We don't argue about whether we need to vacuum the house, or buy a new car. Not usually anyway. Those are decisions we take, and we live with the consequences. We argue about politics mostly. Economics, Environment, Human rights. Abortion. The war. The lack of knowledge simulates a closed minded condition. Sometimes vested interests don't want us to know. Sometimes, knowledge does not solve the basic dillemma and one needs to look at the consequences of the choices, to decide. In either case, when one thinks this way. . .considering all the different possibilities. . . that is when it is fun arguing. It's like trying on different clothes in a department store. . . trying on different thought models. . . without getting too fanatical about a pair of Jeans.

So that's that. My meta-level argument for not getting to attached to ideas. Moral relativism they call it. That way one can flit, float, take responsibility, have fun, and die. That is how I am: closed mindedly standing for open mindedness.