o·pen-mind·ed (pn-mndd)
adj.
Having or showing receptiveness to new and different ideas or the opinions of others. See Synonyms at broad-minded.
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open-minded·ly adv.
open-minded·ness n.
In these times when so much war and unrest dominate the world stage, it forces one to think about differences. Differences of faith, culture, and opinion are often the basis for conflict. What else can we do but objectively learn and understand the past in order to move forward into the future; understand the multitude of reasons we as humans can make the choice to kill one another for our opinion, our religion, our possesions, our land.
I put forth that the logical solution toward peace is not peace through only “understanding”, or “tolerance”, but peace through open-mindedness, Ethics, and Compassion. The term tolerance to me always infers that the party preaching tolerance are better but we will put up with whomever or whatever group is being tolerated. I don’t belive this word should be used in foreign politics or civil law at all.
Through open-mindedness we can gain the understanding and the wisdom to be able to treat others ethically and not judge them against our singular view of what the world should be. Only the open mind will listen and accept or reason with another.
Ethics give us a sense of right and wrong that fits a global perspective and really only in the strictest sense. When it comes to ethics we have to ask, how will this action affect others and does anyone get hurt from the action. When dealing in non western cultures we also have to ask what are the ethics of this culture and does our sense of ethics fit in their society. As an example, perhaps we are trying to help in a society where having multiple wives is common. As a monogomous majority of western culture, we have to accept this and move on. This doesn’t mean that we can or have to accept that its ok to treat these wives badly, nor any member of the society for that matter. It is a basic truth in western culture and a basic human truth that all people are created equal, therefore we must stand strong in that conviction that men, women and children alike deserve all the same civil rights and freedoms. From the logical and ethical perspective we must also respect the laws in each society. So where does this leave us when the laws of a society conflict with some basic human laws such as equality. This is where closer examination and perhaps compromise to our ethics have to be considered. Perhaps in some situations the needs of the many outway the needs of the few or the one. This concept is hard to accept and it is when getting into the details of a situation where openmindedness, ethics and compassion becomes even more important and where decisions cannot be made quicly or lightly.
It is our compassion towards others that bridges the ethics and open mindedness together. Without our compassion neither of the two would stand alone and work to make life better for those involved. Our human compassion allows us to temper strict logic and ethics with a perspective of kindness and fairness for all even if logic points to one solution, compassion may lean that solution in another direction in the interest of fairness for all. We have to be carefull though that in striving for fairness for all we don’t cause harm or unfairness to the individual.
So the message here is be openminded, be ethical, be compassionate, and with these three rules, we can make the move toward peace.
