Staying Open Minded

“As the island of our knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance ” John Wheeler, Physicist

The Staying Open-Minded modules begin with the conviction that the human mind is an amazing thing. It is designed to be predictive and anticipatory. With it, we have learned to master and control the environment to an extraordinary level -not always with wise consequences! It does this by heuristic devices called ‘schemas’ whereby we learn patterns from the past, and seeing similarities from the present, apply them. These are short cuts and they work amazingly well, much of the time…. BUT…

They come with systematic errors. The whole, cognitive-emotion system, being designed for our survival, HATES unpredictability, uncertainty and instability. This leads to universal emotional biases (from DiSalvo, 2018, p. 18). These modules provide ways to overcome our natural ‘hardening of the categories’ (Kelly, 1962), keeping our minds more flexible, more open to learning and more creative.

Staying Open-minded: Part 01

Module 1 begins with our natural aversion to uncertainty showing that this cognitive-emotional discomfort predisposes us to systematic biases in our thinking. This is explored in terms of Daniel Kahneman’s (2011) ‘System 1 and System 2 thinking’ and the Confirmation Bias that so often renders us closed-minded.

Staying Open-minded: Part 02

Module 2 introduces strategies to become better at testing our thinking and skilfully balancing both systems to be genuinely more objective. It then explores the work of Prof. Carol Dweck on Fixed versus Growth Mindsets. Participants complete Dweck’s questionnaire and we debrief the results as a group. Participants then come to understand how mindsets are built via Trait versus Process feedback.

Staying Open-minded: Part 3

Module 3 focuses on practical strategies in changing our mindsets to be more open and objective. We begin with a technique of ‘talking to oneself using a growth mindset’ so that we can use our knowledge of mindsets to, over time, build a default growth mindset. This is reinforced with a practical approach in giving feedback to self and others. Using the BEEF model (Behaviour, Example, Effect, Future) participants practice giving motivational and constructive feedback. Finally, insights and take-away learnings are discussed.