Personal values are determined by things I believe are important to me and reflect my character. An important value that I carry with me on a day-to-day basis would be open-mindedness. Due to my personal belief in a particular religion, it is very easy to judge people who disagree with you. It takes a personal value and character to deal with certain situations. The value of being open-minded gives me a chance to learn about the beliefs and way of life of the next person. As a Christian, you are not to judge others. Being open-minded leads to the unknown, you will be given the chance to explore and gain new knowledge about the people around you which is important in today’s society. People can be very one-sided, which blocks their ability to inquire about new knowledge.
Beliefs and values hold two very different ideas. When analyzing the values according to Jarod Davis, “Values are not based on information from the past and they are not contextual. Values are universal. Values transcend contexts because they are based on what is important to us: They arise from the experience of being human” (Davis, 2019). On the flip side beliefs are, “Assumptions we hold to be true. When we use our beliefs to make decisions, we are assuming the causal relationships of the past, which led to the belief, will also apply in the future” (Davis, 2019). For my personal experiences in a church setting, I would rely on my beliefs to bring me to a place in which others around me believe that there is such a thing as a God. But, in school and how I treat the others around me would depend on my personal values of respecting others and treating them with kindness on everyday occasions.
Open-mindedness to me means being open to learning and gaining new knowledge about things you may either not agree with or new things around you. Open-mindedness can play a role in our daily lives, whether it’s big or small. For myself, many experiences, including volunteering, my religion, and today’s society, in general, have caused me to be open-minded. When working with at-risk youth, volunteer work comes with being open-minded. Many times, we put ourselves in place to help others not knowing what to expect. Many people don’t have time to sit down and reflect on their character or morals. Most of the time these young kids are worried about where their next meal will be coming from. They have different beliefs and values than I do. So, when going into situations where you are going to volunteer in places where it may not be considered a great area, you must go in with an attitude to help change their situations and to make a long-lasting impact on those kids’ lives.
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From my belief in Christianity, being open-minded is key. To not judge the next person is widely discussed in the Bible. Many people, even in the same belief group as I am, are not open-minded. Over time society has become very liberal. Topics that would not have been accepted are now being expected and put up for discussion. For example, gay marriage is a big deal in today’s society. Many Christians are absolutely against gay marriage. I do not agree with it, but I would never talk down on anyone that is because I should not judge the next person. We are all sinners in our own ways. I would rather see someone happy with their significant other whether it’s opposite gender or same sex than live an unhappy life based on what others think. Many times, I feel as if people in today’s world get caught up in their personal perspective of things that could cloud their judgment to gain more knowledge.
Being open-minded is not easy when certain things from your past have been instilled in you from a young age. Also, a great example would be politics. The younger generation generally chooses democrat or republican based on the preference of their parents not based on their own judgment, which makes it harder for people to be unique and to express themselves. When it comes to political views being spoken in the classrooms of schools, it can now be a very touchy and dangerous topic. Many are not willing to hear why someone on the opposite viewpoint of politics chooses whom they want to win for election. Many times, I have experienced heated arguments among classmates. We tend to not listen to comprehend, but rather in motion of thinking what the next argument they may speak on.
A quote that I found interesting said these exact words: “Let go of your attachment to being right, and suddenly your mind is more open. You’re able to benefit from the unique viewpoints of others, without being crippled by your own judgment” (Marston). This quote is important due to the fact that the context communicates that being right is not the most important thing, but learning about the viewpoints is. You cannot gain anything with a limited mindset.
In conclusion, open-mindedness is a value of mine that is derived from a belief of mine and personal experiences. Open-mindedness is a core value I believe that everyone should work on due to the changes in society. As a community, we should always want to seek new ways to look at things in life. Everyone should want to broaden their horizons and explore the unknown. We feel most comfortable placing ourselves around people with similar values and beliefs. People can have very strong views that lead them to have a closed mind. Being brought up around a certain way of life can be very challenging to open up and see why others do things differently. Experiencing change can always have a positive insight into your knowledge. It can even sometimes change how you may view the world in the long run.
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