Training your mind to be OPEN
A simple one-line diary is a great tool for introspection.
In this polarized, tribal world I’m always amazed when so many people claim to keep an open mind, yet fail the litmus test by never changing their mind. Falling prey to all the well-known cognitive traps like confirmation bias, anchoring and so on…
So last year I started keeping a list of times I DID alter my opinion. Simply jotted down in the note-app on my phone as they occur. And it’s an eye-opener.
What can you learn? Well, (and despite my wife’s sound advice) I bought slippers that fit. Makes sense. Except after a few weeks they stretched out to the point where I began stumbling down the stairs. Lesson learned- a little pain for a week or two is an investment that could avoid a trip to the emergency room.
In the kitchen we tried to store left-overs in glass or cermic bowls. No plastic wrap, no disposables. Microwavable from fridge to table. Seems like the green, responsible thing to do. But then I ran the numbers as an exercise for class, and it turned out clear food wrap is better for the environment. Why? Well, when you wash the glass lid with hot water, it takes more energy than producing and disposing of a very light and thin layer of polyethylene. Depending on whether you use a diswasher and if your trash is burned in a modern electricity generating incinerator, 3–10 times better for the environment. Related to the “paper vs plastic” debate, and proving once again that common sense can be an impediment to changing your mind.
And then there are people. It’s easy to assume you know another person’s motivations, and judge them accordingly. But do you even know your own? You might think that sound advice to a co-worker to rewrite a report will help them become better organized. But in fact, your anger over a missed train left you in a bad mood- and the next day, when you reread the original paper, found it was clear and compelling. And an apology required..
The discipline of lists can be empowering. Simply by taking the time to be in the moment and aware of your opinions, makes you less likely to jump to conclusions. To remain set in your ways. And a bit more humble.
