The importance of being open-minded.

"It is healthier if we eat most of our food raw," I told this guy one day.
"Raw? Do you know the number of pathogens in our environment? How can it be healthier to eat our food raw?" he demanded, annoyed that I could suggest such a method of consuming our food.
"Of course, when it comes to meat and animal products, we need to cook them but there is still so much food we can eat raw. Vegetables, for example, can....."
"No! No! No! We are not animals. Only animals eat food raw. And they do it because they cannot cook it. But humans.... what a preposterous idea!" He was frothing at the mouth and disgusted with the idea of eating like the animals.

I had to back off. I wanted no quarrel with him over an idea which could only bring good to him. If he does not like it; well, I am certainly not going to force it on him. Looks like he has a closed mind, not willing to listen and accept new ideas even though they have been tested and found to be good.

If he had shown surprise at the idea and requested for explanations, I would have done so. If my explanations were not based on facts and truth, then it was still not too late to reject it. Unfortunately, his mind was closed to new ideas and was not willing to listen before pushing such ideas away. Both of us were losers then. I lost the opportunity to help someone overcome his health problem and that someone lost the opportunity to acquire a healthier way of eating. That is the problem of being not open-minded. There just isn't any receptivity.

Unless we and our children are receptive to new technology and new knowledge, there will be an obstacle to improvement in our lives.

Once upon a time, cancer patients depend on just sugery, chemotherapy and radiation, the three methods of cancer treatment that weakens us and our immune system as it removes or kills most of the cancer cells. Today, we have cancer researchers from China, America and other parts of the world who found immunotherapy, gene therapy and herbs which improve the chances of survivor for cancer patients when used together with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Each year, advances in medical science is made. Unless we are enlightened to these advances, we cannot make intelligent choices when the need arises.

Open-mindedness is not only beneficial to health. As society changes, and ccommunities open its borders people from all over the world, its members must become more liberal to other races, differing beliefs, religions and cultures which may be totally alien to their own. They must respect and allow beliefs and ideas which contradict with their own in order to exist harmoniously on this earth. Yes, people have to be open-minded enough to be tolerant of everything that is different from theirs.

As we can see, our open-mindedness is the way forward to a progressive society where all mankind can live in peace and harmony; with the understanding that every human is an individual, the world a heterogenous confederation of so many tribes, communities, states and countries; all dissimilar in their practises, yet so homogeneous in their human behaviour.

When everyone achieves such open-mindedness, there can be no conflict, no terrorism and no war. After all such miserable happenings occur because there are those who refuse to be liberal, tolerant, receptive or be enlightened. Open-mindedness is indeed difficult to ahcieve.

However, we ought to teach our children to be open-minded so as to bring greater understanding and love to all mankind. When that happens, The Art of Living's goal of a 'One World Family' become a reality.