A Beautiful Mind

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.So said Aristotle, more than two thousand years ago and well before keyboard warriors and self righteous experts with highly vested interests became a thing to watch out for. He was on to it even then, seeing how intelligence was not a function of scores or speed but rather of understanding and discernment. He saw how brilliant minds can imprison themselves when they presuppose that the groove they are stuck in is The One True God. No doubt he watched many good men with closed minds go to war over it, taking up arms rather than ears, in a quest to dominate and win.In a modern world built on judgement - where even our entertainment encourages us only to take sides or pick favourites - it is more important now than ever to cultivate an open mind. One that leaves room for differing or *gasp* opposing points of view. One that does not need to trash any other view or burden it with the flurry and weight of "facts". One that reveres curiosity and kindness as greater gods than the unholy need to always be right.I'm as fed up as I can possibly be with those who presume that their narrow world view is greater, larger, older, better or proven. Colour me orange and stick me in the White House if that's all it takes. We are a race that craves classification as much as exploration but they are not mutually exclusive.I'm loving having my mind ever stretched by alternatives and theories, those who peer back as much as they tromp forwards, who revel in discussion that allows many points of view. In every case their particularly wonderful and undeniably peculiar spot on the spectrum of opinion is found by following their hearts, through the magic of resonance.Now that's a beautiful mind.© Kerrie Basha, 2017 | Image of Russell Crowe as John Nash in A Beautiful Mind