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VOL. 61 December 18, 2020
VOL. 61 December 18, 2020
Learner Profile Attribute No. 10
Open-minded: We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
I love this descriptor of open-mindedness because of three words: critically, seek, and evaluate. Open-mindedness is often described as a willingness to consider ideas that are different from our own. This description is problematic for a number of reasons, but chief among them is the lack of any expectation that one first examines and understands their own beliefs before considering those of others. Those who do not fully understand themselves and their culture are easily persuaded and prone to gullibility. Because they do not have the skills to discerningly evaluate their own beliefs or culture, they are also often unable (or unwilling) to ‘critically appreciate’ the cultures and histories of others, resorting to base-level or stereotypical understandings. The ‘critical’ aspect of critical appreciation is applied only to others, while the appreciation aspect is only applied to their own culture and personal history. At best, this leads to ignorance; at worst, it leads to nationalism, exceptionalism, prejudice, bigotry, and racism.
It is also dangerous to allow the pendulum to swing entirely in the other direction, whereby open-mindedness is confused with blind acceptance of ourselves or others without question. In order to critically appreciate, we must be willing to seek the answers to often difficult questions and be prepared to face some unpleasant truths about ourselves and our own cultures. We must also seek information about others, while recognizing there may be unpleasant truths about their values, traditions or personal histories. Questioning is a necessary component of understanding ourselves and others, but it does us no good if we do not evaluate the answers to those questions. Questioning leads to understanding, which leads us to the ability to make informed decisions, which is the opposite of blind acceptance.
The last portion of this descriptor mentions our willingness to grow from our experiences. I spoke and wrote a lot last year about growth being our natural state, rather than a mindset we have to adopt. In fact, it was the subject of my first Learner Profile-centered article, which I wrote last November. In this, my last Learner Profile-centered article, I feel we have come full circle. If we are truly open-minded, growth is inevitable. By taking that first step to critically appreciate ourselves, we are already growing in our understanding of who we are, which further opens us up to understanding others. When consistently applied, open-mindedness is what puts the ‘International’ in an International Baccalaureate education.
Pak Steve
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