President's Corner

August 2010

Open Mindedness and the Responsible Search for Truth
by Connie Pursell

Every now and then I read these words by Michael A. Schuler, sometimes used as closing words in UU worship services:

Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the servant of truth.

Question your convictions, for beliefs too tightly held strangle the mind and its natural wisdom.

Suspect all certitudes, for the world whirls on — nothing abides.

Yet in our inner rooms full of doubt, inquiry and suspicion, let a corner be reserved for trust.

For without trust there is no space for communities to gather or for friendships to be forged.

Indeed, this is the small corner where we connect — and reconnect — with each other.

These words remind me of the importance of keeping an open mind. Doubting leaves space for other possibilities, other ways of looking, tipping and tilting the perspective to see truth kaleidoscopically. Open mindedness also means making first impressions cautiously, with a willingness to revise them readily if evidence presents to tell you your filters and perception were off.

We are constantly being surprised by new scientific discoveries. Those of us who are old enough know that the "laws," theories and theorems of science 45 years ago have undergone some serious tweaking, and some have now been acknowledged as being just plain wrong. So scientists need an open mind to entertain new possibilities and learners need an open mind to hear and understand that yesterday's reality is now "old news" in some cases. And have you heard the phrase "rewriting history?" It refers to putting a spin on something that happened in the past in such a way as to completely alter the scenario, the motives for why it happened, or even the outcome. Certain writers of textbooks and certain fundamentalists are accused of this now and then. So you can't believe everything you read — check out different sources, certainly more than one before making up your mind.

We acknowledge that our denomination is the church of the open mind, in addition to its other characteristics and attributes. So, in what ways might we be more open-minded? Here are some things you can consider:

Don't always insist on being right. It could weaken your relationships to others, and possibly turn you into someone you don't want to be or don't like very much. It can also close the door to new ideas, or a better way to handle a situation.

Keeping an open mind might lead to your own growth.

If you find yourself often arguing with others, ask yourself why? There might be a clue there….

Ask yourself if you are stuck. We live in an era where things are changing rapidly, especially technologically and scientifically. If you haven't changed any of your ideas one iota in the last five years, you might be behind the times so to speak. Re-examination at frequent intervals is a good thing.

Think back 10 or 15, or more, years. Think about the person you were then, and who you are now. Are you the same person? If not, that might very well be a good thing. And it likely means you will grow, change, evolve more over the next 5, 10 or 15 years. And if you haven't changed much, why is that — is it because you are stuck? Or because you were self-actuated at a very young age? Only you can answer that!

Thomas Dewar said "Minds are like parachutes — they only function when open." But there has to be some happy medium, some balance. We wouldn't want to be so open-minded that almost anything could blow through our ears and not stick nor leave a trace, or be so open-minded that our brains leak out. Discernment is key. It is the means, the measuring device, by which we use sound judgment and keen insight in making decisions about what works for us, what is worthwhile, and what we value.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a pair of glasses, "point-of-view-glasses," that you could put on to see how another person views an issue, a situation, a belief? It would enable us to see instantly how that other individual sees it, without all the complicated explanations and arguing. Then you could easily decide which view you liked better or best — just try on several pairs of glasses. Unfortunately, the "point-of-view-glasses" are still being lab tested and may not be available in retail stores anytime soon. In the meantime, we must each use our minds and our best questioning skills to get at answers. It is still a good and valuable means of finding truth. After all, isn't that how many of us came to UUism in the first place?

Connie Pursell