Brains are malleable
The huamn brain is very powerful, I’ve seen and experienced the effects (especially psychologically) when we can program our minds to think differently.
While I appreciate the importance of being open-minded, and it seems to be highly promoted and embranced in this century as we shift to a more collaborative working environment driven by the tech industry; however, I think we should not forget the importance of being stubborn.
Is seeing really believing?
The fact that our brains are malleable is both a bliss and a curse. It allows us to listen, to learn, and to adapt (in order to survive). But our perception of things, events, and opinions are no longer so distinctly separable.
More people are receiving information on their smartphones at all times (on the subway, driving, while crossing the street, while sitting at a park, while hanging out with friends at a bar). They are however biased to read mostly on channels/websites/twitters they are subscribed to and hearing opinions from people they are surrounded by. “News” quickly spread before enough analysis is carefully done to verify e.g., the truthful of certain events. We are losing the abilities to critically analyze a situation as we tend to “re-share/re-tweet” the first opinions we “hear/read”. On the other hand, a stubborn and skeptical person would not so easily accept others’ opinion. This prevents us from being “brainwashed”.
It’s all about striking a balance. When we are flooded with articles that talks about the importance of being open-minded, let’s not forget the importance of being “stubborn”.