Side note:
I think @pmvines and @warm_embrace are being a little silly in their comments (always welcome a little humor to lighten a serious conversation!). But I will say that 2022 was a transformative year for me regarding my mental health and personal struggles. And that was largely due to select and judicious use of hallucinogens.
I’m almost 50 and had given up on the possibility that I could change my mind (literally) in how I think, feel and operate. I thought I was an old dog that could not learn new tricks. I was wrong.
A great book to pick up for those intellectually curious - “How to change your mind” by Michael Pollan.
I’m not recommending hallucinogens to anyone, for anything, for any reason. You do you. But for me, I have a new lease on this life. It’s the closest I’ve come to a “silver bullet” and I’m super thankful I was “open minded” enough to overcome my DARE education I received in my early childhood.
I don’t comment much in the forums, but I read a lot. I hope this wasn’t a distracting comment from the OP’s intent of the thread.
@mel8675309 I just want to say thank you for taking the time to comment on my thread and sharing your experience! I hope that 2023 will be a better year for you and again thank you for sharing what has helped you out!
For me it means what someone else has said i'm accepting, non-judgmental, and comfortable interacting with many different types of people.
Great perspective, @CuddleDuncan. Thank you for chiming in.
@CuddleDuncan - I like how you distinguish between the two meanings of open minded, but I do have one quibble. I would not consider differences in things like race, age, sexual orientation, etc. to be imperfections
I thought of y'all and this thread yesterday at lunch when I got this fortune, so I took a picture:
Well hell, I use the phrase open-minded a lot but now I'm paranoid using it here lol. For me, it means I know all kinds of people and don't judge their needs or dynamic.
For example, I've been contacted by a number of men hiding their cuddle relationships from their partner. I'm not going to delve into the "why" since there are a variety of reasons. And I won't bash someone for hiding it - moreover advocate for honestly with their partner. But do I judge them for it? No.
Some people have expressed to me they are introverts/have social anxiety and seem apologetic about it. I don't assume they are unstable or odd. There are too many factors that contribute to being anxious for me to judge someone.
I guess my personal take on "open-mindedness" is allowing a certain elasticity to your thinking. Allowing your own personality and thoughts to counter what your upbringing/religion/peers/media, etc. taught you.
With that being said, I will likely not use the phrase here anymore as it could be misconstrued lol
And what do I see in a man's profile tonight?
"I'm open minded but respectful of the rules"
🤦🏻♀️
~ Sunset Snuggles