A reply to "Question Everything" (From My Inbox)

A reader writes in reply...

It is just as dangerous to question everything than it is to question nothing. Neither require any original thought and lead to isolationism. Why is it that those who claim to "question everything" and have an "open mind" all have the EXACT same opinions on everything? I hear this argument from the left constantly, yet in the end, they all share the exact same liberal doctrine. Not very open-minded in my opinion.

The intention of the post was also not to imply that we should doubt everything. That would lead precisely to isolation. We need not distrust everyone to ask questions. Doubting questions reject. Open-minded questions seek.

The post's intention about questioning, furthermore, is not the normal questioning that we may see in the political world- where to question is really to try and weaken an opponent. The intention was for an honest questioning that is followed by listening. Minds cannot be open unless ears are as well.

It is certainly true that many who claim to be "open minded" are really simply accepting another received wisdom. These people are merely pretending to be open minded. Open minded people do not seek to defeat an opponent in debate, but engage those of different views in discussion. Minds cannot be open that never change.

It is also very clear to any observer that neither side of the political spectrum in the US has any particular claim to open-mindedness. Also, neither side is immune from closed-mindedness. Pick any "debate" show you wish on a news channel (Cross Fire, Hannity and Colmes, etc.) for your evidence here. Two individuals can argue for 30 minutes or even an hour and never hear the other person at all.

True open minded question does indeed require original thought. If we do not accept the "received wisdom"- in politics, religion, education, etc.- then we need to think in order to fill in the blanks with explanations. We need to try to understand the people around us, and to engage those people in positive ways. We need to be flexible, thoughtful, caring, conscientious. We also, when engaged in dialogue, need to resist the temptation to assume that a person whose views do not change to conform to ours is closed-minded. We must remember that they could be thinking the same of us.

In my classroom, one of the things I tell my students is that I do not seek to have them think like me. I, of course, do not express many opinions so openly as on this blog. Those opinions that do come through I make clear to my students as opinions. I tell them that the world already has me- for whatever that's worth- and doesn't need another me. The world needs them to be as active as thinkers as they can be. Then, through the dialogue we all create, and I simply try to do my part, we can move towards better ideas and practices in the future.

GP