Open-mindedness and Irrelevant Factors

My favorite definition of open-mindedness comes from Milton Rokeach’s book, The Open and Closed Mind.

The extent to which a person can receive, evaluate, and act on relevant information

on its own intrinsic merits unencumbered by irrelevant factors in the situation arising

from within the person or from the outside.

Most of us are convinced that we are open-minded (objective), and we accept this without examination or critique. In reality, it seems to be another of those positive, but often incorrect stories we have about ourselves. No matter what we think, objectivity is often compromised by  irrelevant factors, particularly when we are under stress in a conflict situation. And because many of these factors operate below conscious level, we can maintain our story of objectivity without ever being aware of its falsity.

What are a few examples of irrelevant factors?

Any big need, such as to be right, to win, to be perfect, or to be loved.

Desiring the approval of others.

Passion for or against something.

Taking ourselves too seriously. 

Additionally, there are many other irrelevant factors arising from our expectations, beliefs, values, and preferences. Imagine I prefer relating to people who are outgoing, but am engaged in a conflict discussion with someone who is not. Or, suppose I believe that most people, given the opportunity, will try to take advantage of you. These will surely compromise my objectivity. And among the worst compromisers of open-mindedness may be a person’s political views. No matter how well-meaning and sincere, the person’s emotional commitment to a position or view ruins even the pretense of objectivity. But the problem is even more challenging. The reality is that most of our normal, and often unhealthy, ways of interacting with others are likely to be irrelevant factors.

Irrelevant factors obstruct open-mindedness because they have nothing to do with the issue under discussion. They are mostly self-serving efforts (if unconsciously used) to help us avoid the rigor and discipline of objective thinking and interaction. While they seem to protect us from challenges, all they really do is make conflict situations worse. Lacking conscious awareness of the impact of irrelevant factors, we blithely wreak havoc whenever our stress levels are up, particularly in conflict settings.

Do we know of even one person who really evaluates contrary information fairly, often to his own disadvantage? Do we know anyone who readily gives up a cherished position in the face of a stronger one!? If we down-to-the-bone honest, there are few. Why? First, it takes great self-confidence and a powerful desire to be intellectually honest no matter what the cost. Second, it requires that we give up any attachments to our views and positions---they must be expendable at a moment’s notice, joyfully. And third, perhaps hardest of all, it takes profound personal control of our harmful behavior, an effort that takes substantial will power and practice sustained often over years.

But not all open-mindedness breakdowns are the result of us responding to irrelevant factors or being unwilling or unable to examine contrary evidence fairly. Some arise from the brain’s cognitive short-cuts we use without thinking and which arose in part because they helped ensure early human survival. In the anchoring bias we can be over-reliant on the first piece of information we see, often discounting information we receive later. In the availability bias we over-estimate the importance of information available to us without the awareness of potentially valid conflicting information. And the confirmation bias encourages us to accept only that information confirming our existing beliefs or views.

Being unaware of these short-cuts, we cannot help but be un-objective at times. That does not totally excuse us, however. And neither does being unaware of irrelevant factors. But if we really cannot see these elements operating, what should we do? As in all troubling interactions, we must remain tightly focused and completely respectful. We can pay close attention to our mirrors, those with whom we disagree. Their verbal and non-verbal responses to us are invaluable clues to how they perceive us. This enables us to do an after-the-fact analysis of our thinking and responses to see if they were driven by factors we could not see.

Interestingly, whether we are objective is hardly our decision alone to make. It is a social factor in the sense that others have judgment on our open-mindedness. No matter what we claim, if others do not see us as objective, then we are out of luck. That is why attention to how others respond to us in conflict situations is critical. It is our main, and in some cases only, avenue to seeing and addressing irrelevant factors.