i-TFTD #274: Open Mind Surgery Ha Ha

#274-1. The closed mind, if closed long enough, can be opened by nothing short of dynamite.
-Gerald Johnson

#274-2. Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.
-GK Chesterton

#274-3. A sense of humor is the ability to understand a joke—and that the joke is oneself.
-Clifton Fadiman

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Some traps to avoid: If I do it, I call it open-mindedness; if you do it, it is indecisiveness! I am open-minded towards people who are worth it.

I find humour to be a great mind-opener. It lets some things be said in an acceptable manner that cannot otherwise be easily said. A good, meaningful remark made in a lighter vein has the desired effect of triggering thought in the listener. The same message given as direct advice might be resisted defensively. Having a sense of humour requires some amount of open-mindedness.