Thank you for sharing this. It's an important point. While this particular newsletter focused on the internal work of questioning our beliefs, you're highlighting the crucial external condition that makes this work possible: the "mental ecosystem" we're in.
Your idea that our environment can prevent differing views from being immediately dismissed is of great significance. It aligns perfectly with something I touched on in a previous newsletter: "Collaboration > Competition" – that we learn and grow by being genuinely open to the perspectives of others, rather than always competing to win against others' opinions and beliefs.
So we could see true open-mindedness as a two-part practice:
The internal work of questioning our own beliefs... which the newsletter explored.
The external work of seeking out environments and people that expose us to different ways of thinking... which you brought up.
Thank you for adding this vital dimension to the conversation.
Thank you for sharing this. It's an important point. While this particular newsletter focused on the internal work of questioning our beliefs, you're highlighting the crucial external condition that makes this work possible: the "mental ecosystem" we're in.
Your idea that our environment can prevent differing views from being immediately dismissed is of great significance. It aligns perfectly with something I touched on in a previous newsletter: "Collaboration > Competition" – that we learn and grow by being genuinely open to the perspectives of others, rather than always competing to win against others' opinions and beliefs.
So we could see true open-mindedness as a two-part practice:
The internal work of questioning our own beliefs... which the newsletter explored.
The external work of seeking out environments and people that expose us to different ways of thinking... which you brought up.
Thank you for adding this vital dimension to the conversation.