What Does Being Open-Minded Mean and How to Practice It Daily
Written by
Ilma Ibrisevic, Therapist, Writer & Facilitator
Published on 3 Dec, 2025
•3 min read
An open-minded person is willing to hear and consider new ideas, even when these ideas challenge their existing beliefs. Being open-minded is not about losing conviction or being easily persuaded; it’s about staying curious and accepting other ideas as part of a lifelong learning process.
An open mindset helps us recognize when long-held opinions no longer fit who we’re becoming. That ability to adapt is key to growth.
In simple terms, being open-minded means staying curious enough to learn and calm enough to change. Once we stop learning, we stop growing. In practice, open-mindedness is an act of humility: the quiet awareness that “I might be wrong, and that’s exactly where I can grow."
Key Learnings
- Open-mindedness is about staying flexible enough to grow from new perspectives.
- A closed mindset limits creativity, empathy, and adaptability; an open one fosters curiosity and emotional balance.
- Small daily practices, such as reflection, receiving feedback, and cultivating self-awareness, can expand your perspective on the world.
- You can train open-mindedness the same way you train focus or calmness: through steady, conscious attention.
Why Open-Mindedness Matters More Than Ever
Today, when much of what we see online merely reinforces our existing beliefs, open-mindedness has become a vital act of self-awareness. It helps us stay steady in the face of uncertainty, remain curious rather than defensive, and grow rather than fear change.
Most people want to feel confident as they move through life. But that confidence grows only when we’re willing to question our own beliefs and stay open to different perspectives. Psychologists link open-mindedness to emotional regulation, creativity, and mental flexibility.
Open-mindedness helps us filter knowledge and embrace new ideas without closing our hearts, stay curious even in disagreement, and remember that curiosity is stronger than fear. It helps us to adapt faster, think clearly, and connect more deeply.
Why It’s Hard to Stay Open-Minded
Even the most curious person can struggle to stay broad-minded. Our minds naturally prefer familiarity. Closed-minded thinking, in a way, can be seen as one of our bad habits, giving us comfort by confirming we’re “right,” but also limiting our learning and discovery.
Sometimes, it's fear that keeps us from opening up. We get afraid of being wrong, questioning parents or authority figures, or losing a sense of stability. This is known as confirmation bias, which can narrow our perspective on the world.
As psychiatrist Dr. Jacob Towery notes, “Open-mindedness is mental flexibility in action.” It allows us to encounter new information and update our understanding without losing confidence.
Recent psychological reviews indicate that open-mindedness can be trained and sustained through interventions that combine cognitive flexibility with emotion-regulation skills, a combination that helps people reinterpret challenging experiences rather than resist them.
Our brains are wired to save energy by relying on existing beliefs and ideas. Every time we confront new perspectives, it takes willingness — a conscious decision to stay receptive instead of defensive. But that very effort strengthens cognitive flexibility, empathy, and resilience. The more we cultivate open-minded thinking, the more comfortable we become with uncertainty about the future, ambiguity, and the prospect of growth.
How Do Open-Minded People Think: Open-Minded vs. Closed-Minded Thinking in Action
Our words often reveal our mindset. Here is an example of how open-minded vs. closed-minded thinking can sound in daily life:
| Open-Minded Say… | Closed-Minded Say… |
| “I see your point — maybe there’s something to learn here.” | “That’s wrong. End of story.” |
| “Let’s try it and see what happens.” | “That’ll never work.” |
| “I hadn’t thought of it that way before.” | “I already know how this goes.” |
| “I appreciate your feedback — I’ll reflect on it.” | “You just don’t understand.” |
| “I can adapt if the plan changes.” | “We’ve always done it this way.” |
| “Let’s figure this out together.” | “It’s not my problem.” |
| “This challenge could teach me something new.” | “Why bother? It’s too hard.” |
How Open-Mindedness Enhances Creativity and Calm
Being open-minded helps us gain insight from mistakes and develop resilience.
It helps us adapt faster.
Life brings new situations every day. We may be facing a job change, a challenge with our kids, or an unexpected move. A broad-minded person is more likely to focus on possibilities and discover new ways forward.
Instead of clinging to what’s lost, an open-minded person looks for the next step. They see change not as a threat but as an invitation to grow. This perspective transforms uncertainty into movement, which is a key to emotional regulation and creativity.
It turns failure into growth.
When we're open-minded, we don’t let fear of being wrong stop us from learning. When we make a mistake, we can take a deep breath and reflect on it. In that small space between what happens and how we respond to it, awareness turns reaction into insight.
That moment of awareness becomes your power: it shifts you from defending your beliefs to deepening your understanding and generating new ideas.
It strengthens connections.
When we genuinely listen to others and remain open to new ideas, our relationships deepen and grow stronger. Open-mindedness enables us to form better friendships and collaborations because we prioritize understanding over being right.
In work, parenting, friendship, or any other relationship with a person, open-mindedness builds trust. It shows others that we can hear them, even if their opinion differs from ours. This doesn’t just make us kinder; it makes us wiser.
For tools that support that calm, flexible mindset, read our article on the science of emotional regulation.
Practical Ways to Train an Open Mind
An open mindset is a daily practice of awareness, honesty, and humility.
Here’s how we can strengthen it:
1. Check your biases and outdated beliefs.
Ask yourself: Where did this belief come from? Is it still true? This simple reflection keeps our minds curious and free.
Take a moment to notice beliefs you’ve carried since childhood — about success, relationships, or what it means to be “right.” Many of them may no longer fit your current reality. This is where personal growth begins.
2. Consider at least two perspectives.
Every idea can be seen in more than one way. Pause to imagine how a friend, partner, or colleague with a different outlook might see what you can’t yet.
Curiosity helps bridge the gap between “my truth” and “our truth.” When you practice seeing from another’s viewpoint, you’re growing an open mind and expanding your understanding of the world.
3. Engage in new experiences.
It’s easy to get stuck in what feels familiar, but routine can quietly close us off from new ideas. Reading books, trying new activities, or talking to people who think differently can all expand our knowledge.
Every time you leave your comfort zone, whether by traveling somewhere new, joining a class, or learning about new ideas, your brain literally rewires to hold more possibilities. Open-minded thinking is like exercise for creativity: it keeps your perspective flexible and alive.
4. Let yourself make mistakes.
Allow yourself to make mistakes. Perfectionism closes the mind, but reflection opens it. Every misstep can deepen understanding.
Try reframing mistakes as experiments. Instead of “I failed,” say, “I found another way that didn’t work yet.” This mindset shift cultivates resilience and keeps you curious, rather than fearful.
5. Journal with curiosity.
Notice moments when you react defensively or feel the need to prove something. Use the Liven Journal to explore what those reactions might reveal about your beliefs or fears.
Writing helps make the unconscious conscious. When you name what triggers you, you gain insight and space to choose a calmer response. That’s how emotional regulation and open-mindedness meet.
6. Move your body to open your mindset.
Physical movement helps release mental tension.
Body and mind mirror each other: when you unclench one, the other follows. Even a short walk, deep breathing, or gentle stretching is a possibility to shift your inner dialogue from rigid to receptive.
🧘🏽♀️ Try these somatic exercises to release stress.
How to Support Open-Minded Growth in Others
We can’t force others to open their minds, but we can encourage it gently:
- Fuel curiosity. Share books, podcasts, or new information that challenge existing beliefs.
- Lead with empathy. When people feel heard, they’re more willing to question their own beliefs.
- Model flexibility. Showing how we handle feedback with grace invites others to do the same.
- Celebrate progress. Acknowledge when someone steps outside their comfort zone or explores new perspectives.
Remember that open-mindedness grows in safe spaces. When people feel accepted, they are more willing to explore different ideas. Your patience, compassion, and curiosity can inspire others to do the same.
When people see openness modeled with compassion, they’re inspired to mirror it.
Final Reflection
Being open-minded means holding our beliefs lightly enough to be receptive to learning. It’s a mindset that strengthens understanding, creativity, and calm. Every conversation, challenge, or mistake presents an opportunity to practice openness.
Over time, you’ll find that staying curious leads not only to better thinking but also to a more profound sense of peace. A truly open mind isn’t just receptive to new ideas; it’s resilient, adaptive, and alive.
So let’s stay curious, keep reading, and let life challenge our thinking. That’s how personal growth unfolds: one idea, one moment, one insight at a time.
References
- Primeau, M. (2021, September 15). Your powerful, changeable mindset | Stanford Report. News.stanford.edu; Stanford University. https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2021/09/mindsets-clearing-lens-life
- Dolbier, S. Y., Dieffenbach, M. C., & Lieberman, M. D. (2024). Open-mindedness: An integrative review of interventions. Psychological Review, 132(1). https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000491
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