Everyone wants to think they’re open-minded – here’s why most people aren’t

Practicing existential humility means learning to live with the natural tension between our desires for certainty and curiosity.

By: Daryl Van Tongeren, Hope College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 10, 2026

Words: 1,211

Last Updated: 1 day, 12 hours ago

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By Daryl Van Tongeren, Hope College

Most people think they are open-minded and would like others to perceive them as such. But for the things that matter most – religious beliefs, for example, or the meaning of life – few of us are genuinely willing to consider that we might be wrong, let alone do the hard work of revising beliefs. At a fundamental level, we humans are somewhat closed-minded.

As a …

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