How to Be More Open-Minded
For anyone who suspects they are more certain than they should be and wants to see more clearly.
To be more open-minded, notice when you feel defensive, ask questions before you argue, look for the strongest version of the other side, spend time with people who think differently, treat your beliefs as working ideas you can update and ask “Where might this be true?” when you hear something you do not like. Being open-minded does not mean having no opinions. It means caring more about what is true than about being right.
For years, I had an easy explanation for why other people were ahead of me.
For years, I told myself the people ahead of me were simply more talented. It was an easy explanation because it removed responsibility from the equation.
Then a friend challenged that belief with a simple question: “What if you have the talent, too, and they just outworked you?”
I’ve never been the most naturally gifted person in the room, but I’ve often been willing to stay in the process longer than most people.
Open-minded people tend to think more clearly. Research led by Mark Leary at Duke University found that people higher in intellectual humility, the willingness to admit their views might be wrong, were better at judging the strength of evidence and less likely to dismiss people who disagreed with them.
The beliefs that cost you the most are usually the ones you never question.
Seven ways to be more open-minded
Notice when you get defensive
When you feel the urge to argue right away, slow down. Strong reactions often point to a belief worth looking at.
Ask before you argue
Ask questions until you can explain the other view in a way the other person would agree with.
Find the strongest version of the other side
It is easy to dismiss the weakest version of an idea. Look for the most reasonable version instead.
Hear it fully, then pause
When someone gives you feedback, listen all the way through. Then pause before you respond.
Ask where it might be true
Even feedback that feels unfair often holds something worth taking. Find it, then adjust.
Spend time with different thinkers
Read, listen to and talk with people who see the world differently from you. The standards around you shape the standards within you.
Hold beliefs as working ideas
Treat what you believe as your best current understanding, not a permanent identity. Changing your mind is a sign of learning.
If you only listen to voices that protect you,
you’ll never hear the ones that grow you.
Signs you might be more closed-minded than you think
- 1. You rarely change your mind about anything
- 2. You feel attacked when someone disagrees
- 3. You mostly read and listen to people who agree with you
- 4. You have an easy explanation for why others are ahead
- 5. You stop listening once you have decided what someone means
Related reading: How to Get Honest Feedback, Talent vs Effort and How to Develop a Growth Mindset.
Common questions
What does it mean to be open-minded?
It means being willing to consider new ideas and change your view when the evidence supports it, while still holding opinions of your own.
How can I become more open-minded?
Notice defensiveness, ask questions before arguing, look for the strongest version of other views and spend time with people who think differently.
Is being open-minded a weakness?
No. Research on intellectual humility suggests open-minded people judge evidence more accurately. You can be open-minded and still have strong convictions.
Why is it hard to be open-minded?
Changing your mind can feel like losing or admitting you were wrong. Treating beliefs as working ideas makes updating easier.
Notice defensiveness, ask before you argue, find the strongest version of the other side and treat your beliefs as ideas you can update.
You Are Capable
of More.
Ten principles for becoming the person you know you are capable of being, built from real stories of people who doubted themselves and did it anyway. Winner of the How-To category at the 2026 Paris Book Festival.
When I’ve got something worth sending.
Just a story or an idea I picked up that I think will help you.
Sometimes that’s twice in a month. Sometimes it’s not for a while.