How to Be Open-Minded

Co-authored by Sandra Possing and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: November 18, 2022 References Approved

If you’re tired of looking at the world in the same old way, it might be time to broaden your horizons. Becoming more open-minded can help you live an exciting, inquisitive life in which you never stop learning or growing. By making just a few changes to your daily routine, you can open up your mind and say goodbye to your old close-minded ways.

1

Embrace the unknown.

You can’t be in charge of everything in your life. Sure, this may sound a bit broad, but the unknown can really mean something as simple as taking a different route to work, finally accepting that coffee date with your neighbor, or seeing a movie by a director you’ve never heard of.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Rachel Clissold
Certified Life Coach
Expert Interview. 26 August 2020.} If you want to be more open-minded, then the first thing you have to do is embrace something that is completely foreign to you.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Sandra Possing
Life Coach
Expert Interview. 15 July 2020.}
- Have you never checked out that new restaurant in town because you don’t know what it’s like there? Now’s the time to check it out.
- Have you avoided signing up for that English class you’re interested in because you don’t know anything about Romantic poetry? Go for it.
- Have you avoided the Barre classes at your yoga studio because you’re afraid you won’t know what you’re doing? Take a beginner’s class to dip your feet in.

2

Don’t knock anything before you try it.

Keep an open mind about things you’ve never done before. Close-minded people are famous for forming negative opinions of things they’ve never even tried. They may hate the other pizza place in town without even setting foot in the door, or they think the vegan movement is completely silly without ever trying it themselves. So, the next time you catch yourself espousing a negative opinion about something, ask yourself what evidence you have to support your ideas.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Rachel Clissold
Certified Life Coach
Expert Interview. 26 August 2020.}
- Try researching a subject to learn more about it. If, for example, you aren’t sure why people are vegans, try searching online or checking out a book about it.
- If you find that there is absolutely no evidence to prove your case, then you should try that thing yourself before you say anything else.

3

Accept more invitations.

Head out to a party or lunch with a new friend. Though you don’t have to say yes to every invitation, you can make a habit of saying yes 50% more and going to parties or places where you never thought you’d end up. It could be a potluck at your neighbor’s house, your aunt’s yearly barbecue that you always skip, or even a poetry reading your friend has been trying to get you to go to for months. Exposing yourself to a wide variety of events will make you more open-minded.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Rachel Clissold
Certified Life Coach
Expert Interview. 26 August 2020.}
- Try to accept invitations to different types of events. Just saying yes to party invitations may not necessarily broaden your horizons if you say no to everything else.
- The next time you say no to something, ask yourself what lies behind this impulse: is this fear of the unknown? An unwillingness to step out of your comfort zone? The desire to be hanging out in bed in your pyjamas instead of meeting new people? Face the feeling and find a way to fight it.^{[5]
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  Expert Source
  
  Sandra Possing
  Life Coach
  Expert Interview. 15 July 2020.}

4

See things from multiple perspectives.

Acknowledge that other people have opinions too. You could do this with almost anything in your life: politics, religion, education, personal beliefs, etc. You don’t have to change your mind or bend any of your morals, but try to see things from the other side. You’ll become more open-minded and learn how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Sandra Possing
Life Coach
Expert Interview. 15 July 2020.}
- Let’s say you’re a very devout Christian. Can you try reading up on other religions, or understanding the reasons why someone might not believe in God at all? Make a list of these reasons and see if it makes it easier for you to understand your differing perspectives. This doesn’t mean you have to change your mind, but it will help you have a more open-minded outlook.

5

Focus on the positives.

Many close-minded people view things in a negative light. The next time you catch a negative thought crossing your brain—or even the next time one escapes your lips—counter it with a positive thought.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Rachel Clissold
Certified Life Coach
Expert Interview. 26 August 2020.} It might help to think of 3 positive things for every 1 negative thought you have.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Sandra Possing
Life Coach
Expert Interview. 15 July 2020.}
- Let’s say you catch yourself saying, “It’s freezing today. This weather sucks.” Can you think of anything good about the cold day? Try: “But there’s nothing like drinking a pumpkin spice latte in your favorite café when it’s cold outside.” Or: “Maybe it’ll snow later. I love snow.”
- You can find the good in almost any situation. Maybe you hate your 2-hour commute, but you love the alone time you get to listen to your favorite audiobook.
Expert Answer

Q

What if I'm struggling to be more open minded?

Rachel Clissold
Certified Life Coach
Rachel Clissold is a Life Coach and Consultant in Sydney, Australia. With over six years of coaching experience and over 17 years of corporate training, Rachel specializes in helping business leaders move through internal roadblocks, gain more freedom and clarity, and optimize their company’s efficiency and productivity. Rachel uses a wide range of techniques including coaching, intuitive guidance, neuro-linguistic programming, and holistic biohacking to help clients overcome fear, break through limitations, and bring their epic visions to life. Rachel is an acclaimed Reiki Master Practitioner, Qualified practitioner in NLP, EFT, Hypnosis & Past Life Regression. She has created events with up to 500 people around Australia, United Kingdom, Bali, and Costa Rica.

EXPERT ADVICE

Answer from Rachel Clissold:

Your energy translates into your actions. So, if you're rushing out of the door, that feeling of being rushed is going to follow you out of the door. Try slowing down, taking a deep breath, and remind yourself that you're making an active effort to be more open-minded.

6

Mix up your routine.

Try something new and break your old habits. It doesn’t have to be anything huge: maybe you have a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast instead of eggs and toast. Maybe you ride your bike to work instead of taking the subway. Getting out of a rut can really help open up your mind and help you start new habits.^{[9]
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- Routines are a good way to bring order and stability to your life, and there’s nothing wrong with them. But if you want to be more open-minded, mixing it up once in a while will show you that there’s more than one way to live your life.
- Let’s say you planned to stay in all weekend and watch that ‘’Law & Order’’ marathon you’ve been craving. Your friend invites you to her beach house at the last minute—if you want to start changing your life for the better and to be more open to new experiences, then you might want to say yes.

7

Travel as much as you can.

Open your mind to new experiences and cultures.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Sandra Possing
Life Coach
Expert Interview. 15 July 2020.} Though many people have a limited budget, you should make a habit of traveling when you find the money. If you only have a little bit of money to spare, just travel to a fun destination a few hours away from your hometown and try to learn something new. If you have more money to work with, go look at the Mayan ruins in Mexico, check out the plethora of museums in Paris, or spend a weekend in Montreal.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Rachel Clissold
Certified Life Coach
Expert Interview. 26 August 2020.}
- If you can’t afford to travel, watch the Travel Network. Though it won’t be as exciting as the real thing, it will give you more perspective into how people live in other countries.

9

Get out of your comfort zone.

Pick something you’re afraid of and try it out. Maybe you’re afraid of heights. Go stand on the roof of a building (if it’s allowed). Hate going to noisy restaurants? Make a dinner date and see how it goes. Afraid of meeting new people? Go to a singles’ mixer or a meet-and-greet in your town or let your friend drag you to a party. Make a habit of doing this as often as you can and you’ll slowly feel your mind opening up.^{[13]
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- Write down 5 things that make you really uncomfortable. Find a way to do as many as you can. This will take time and courage, but you’ll feel better for it!

10

Don’t judge a person until you know them.

Pre-judging someone can close off a relationship before it starts. Try to keep your opinion neutral until you actually chat with someone and get to know them more. Even if you’ve heard about them from a friend, you don’t actually know much about them until you talk to them yourself.^{[14]
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- The next time you meet a new person, try to really understand where they’re coming from before you form any kind of an opinion. If they talk loudly, maybe they’re used to being ignored or looked over. If they seem standoffish, they might just be anxious or shy.
- When you’re meeting a friend of a friend, try to see it like this: if your friend likes this person, then there must be something good about them. Try to seek it out.

11

Ask people lots of questions.

Learn something new from everyone you meet. You can do this with an old friend or someone you’ve never met before. Ask them what they’ve been up to, if they’ve read anything good lately, or how their last vacation was. The more interested you are in other people’s lives, the more you’ll learn from them.^{[15]
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- If you know the person well, ask them about what their childhood was like. You may hear some really interesting details and will learn something new.
- For example, you might ask, “How are your parents doing?” “How’s the city life treating you?” “What do you do for fun?” “Did you like growing up around here?”

12

Make friends with people from different walks of life.

Broaden your friendship horizons to get different perspectives. It’s fine to keep your close friends that you’ve known for 10 years, but you should also try to branch out a little. Make friends from work, your ceramics class, your favorite neighborhood bar, or from different classes in school as well.^{[16]
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- Though you shouldn’t hand pick your friends based on their diversity, try to hang out with people that have a variety of jobs, interests, and backgrounds.

Expert Q&A
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Question

Why is it important to be open minded?

Sandra Possing
Life Coach
Sandra Possing is a life coach, speaker, and entrepreneur based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sandra specializes in one-on-one coaching with a focus on mindset and leadership transformation. Sandra received her coaching training from The Coaches Training Institute and has seven years of life coaching experience. She holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Sandra Possing

Life Coach

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

It's important to be able to have respect and compassion for people that are different from you. If you can only see things from your own perspective, you may be preventing connections and relationships with others. If we can choose to be more mindful about the perspectives we choose, then we can create a totally different experience in the present moment than one defined by our past or self-limiting beliefs.
Question

How can I be open with a commanding person?

Community Answer

Always keep calm. Ask them questions like, " Why do you think that?" or " Can you explain it in a easier way?". Remember to be positive. Negativity may trigger the person to argue even more.
Question

How can I be open-minded if I am afraid to try new things?

Community Answer

You have to be willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone. See if you can find an open-minded friend that might be willing to try new things with you. It is much easier if you have someone doing the new thing with you.