narrow-mindedness...?

Question

if you call someone narrow-minded because of their beliefs, are you not in fact calling yourself narrow-minded because their beliefs are different than yours? or is narrow-mindedness just a notion contrary to popular belief?

Answer 1

Hell of a question, ain't it? I think that your judgements are right, for we're in the middle of a paradox. I think that the problem is that many people don't just live and let live and the enter a confrontation with those who think or act different. RESPECT is the key!

Answer 2

This is a question of psychological balance.

One must be able to distinguish between their perceptons, disregard those they find to be false, and keep the ones they know to be true. That is a simple fact of evolution. Without that, we'd have been eaten by tigers long ago, because we'd be unable to disregard the thesis that housecats eat us and tigers don't, and thus we would (minus intuition) glide right past the danger.

However, when people close off too much of new information they also cripple themselves psychologically and intellectually.

I would also posit, though, that you are demonstrating your own narrow mindedness, when you dismiss someone with contrary beliefs narrow-minded.

Answer 3

The term narrow minded does not logically imply any qualitative judgment. It is simply meant to indicate that an individual or a society is not open to considering the point of view of others. Our dominant liberal culture tends to value broad minded notions so we make the mistake of considering the term narrow minded as a less desirable state.


Semantics is a wonderful thing!

Answer 4

Things might change this century but for most current people homosexuality is still very much an unknown quantity. People's ideas are fed by what they see in the media. And the media being what they are tend to focus on the more dramatic side of things. So, the main ideas that are communicated to the general public is are that: 1 - Homosexuality means making a spectacle of yourself 2 - Homosexuality means being camp 3 - Homosexuality can get you assaulted or murdered. It is a fact that people who are homophobic but know a gay person (but don't know that they are actually gay) tend to like them. When they are told that the person is gay the reaction is often "I don't like gays but this one is different". So the negative image of gays is linked to the concept rather than the person. You then have a second category of people who are those who feel threatened by gay-ness. Some may have had bad experiences (e.g. I knew someone whose brother had been gang-raped and there is nothing you could do to make him less homophobic) but I would like to think this is a minute minority. Some of these homophobic people also feel that the only way they can survive is by showing some aggressivity (a very primal thing) and gays are an easy target. It is interesting to see that homophobia is most rampant in people with a lower social status and that more educated people tend to be more tolerant. This concurs with the survival theme in that people with lower social status need to find some way to stand out. Being aggressive is usually a good way to get noticed. Others are homophobic because they are in fact repressed gays. They feel threatened to see other gays because subconsciously it reminds them of what they are fighting hard not to be. Based on this, it is difficult to see how things can change. Generally though, as more people come out and the public is more exposed to gays, people will know that we are just normal people and society will play a role in softening the perceptions. It is quite telling that in the 18th century,being gay or bi was quite common in the aristocracy and it was accepted. It is only victorian values which have clamped down on all this. It all goes in cycles.

Answer 5

Narrow mindedness is the in ability to change ones mind when
confronted by facts.

Your statement would more aptly be called stubbornness.

Answer 6

Narrow minded people are those who hold a belief and refuse to admit that their belief could be wrong. How do we really know what is right?? It's preposterous of anyone to think they KNOW religion, politics, or anything else for that matter.

Answer 7

Since beliefs cannot be verified, it is reasonable to call anyone who refuses to acknowledge that their beliefs are not supported as being single mindedly stubborn or even defying reality. Whether the term "narrow-minded" is the best term is up for grabs.

Answer 8

Hey! Narrow minded people don't have to make a lot of choices.

Answer 9

well ure right , if a person is narrow minded he would talk ill of any other religion or philosphy , everything is a part of life, but the thing is how do u react to that situation.