“Close Minded? Isn't that sort of narrow and negative?”<br />
<br />
At first glance, that's certainly a reasonable reaction. (But it got your attention, didn't it?) However, the name of the show is not just a marketing tactic, but rooted in a deep truth.<br />
<br />
G.K. Chesterton once wrote the following:<br />
<br />
“Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”<br />
<br />
A hallmark of maturity is the ability to hold up an idea you don't necessarily agree with and scrutinize it, to evaluate it dispassionately without having to own it for yourself.<br />
<br />
Another sign of maturity is one's willingness to engage a wide variety of ideas and topics without being frightened away just because someone shouts “problematic!”–whether it be a Twitter mob, a self-hating Social Justice Warrior on Facebook, or even your own tribe.<br />
<br />
So around here we aren't afraid to discuss lots of ideas, regardless of our actual positions:<br />
<br />
Political anarchism? Check.<br />
Human sexuality? Check.<br />
Trump as an existential dictatorial threat to Western Civilization? Check.<br />
Darwinism and Intelligent Design? Check.<br />
The intersection of technology and philosophy? Check.<br />
<br />
But there's more! We also aren't interested in claims that certain genres of literature are “uncool.” Who cares?<br />
<br />
We are readers. Avid readers of wide-ranging works. Readers who cultivate what Tolkien called “the leaf mold” of the mind, the topsoil of our moral imagination and creativity.<br />
<br />
We aren't embarrassed to enjoy “kid lit” and YA fiction, or afraid to read sociological & political works that challenge our assumptions. We enjoy classic novels, hard-boiled crime thrillers, controversial works of theology & culture, economics, productivity & personal development. We are not bound by social or political convention.<br />
<br />
We “read for pleasure in an age of distraction” (Alan Jacobs). We consume and engage books for stimulation, conviction & enrichment. We want to stretch our minds, grow in empathy, & experience the joys & challenges of reading good books.<br />
<br />
We read with an open mind in order to close it on something.<br />
<br />
--------------------------------<br />
<br />
“But wait! Shouldn't it be CloseD Minded (with a d)?”<br />
<br />
Welcome, fellow grammar nerd, to my tortured existence. I do happen to believe that “Closed Minded” is preferable to “Close Minded”–and thus, I die a little bit inside each time I say or write it. HOWEVER, I went with “Close Minded” for two reasons. First, technically both are considered acceptable–see here and here. Second, when I compared the Google search results for both spellings, “Close” had exponentially more hits, so I followed the basic rules of internet marketing and went with what people are actually searching for.<br />
<br />
Case close, er, closed.<br />
<br />
Subscribe here: www.closemindedpodcast.com/subscribe
“Close Minded? Isn't that sort of narrow and negative?”<br />
<br />
At first glance, that's certainly a reasonable reaction. (But it got your attention, didn't it?) However, the name of the show is not just a marketing tactic, but rooted in a deep truth.<br />
<br />
G.K. Chesterton once wrote the following:<br />
<br />
“Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”<br />
<br />
A hallmark of maturity is the ability to hold up an idea you don't necessarily agree with and scrutinize it, to evaluate it dispassionately without having to own it for yourself.<br />
<br />
Another sign of maturity is one's willingness to engage a wide variety of ideas and topics without being frightened away just because someone shouts “problematic!”–whether it be a Twitter mob, a self-hating Social Justice Warrior on Facebook, or even your own tribe.<br />
<br />
So around here we aren't afraid to discuss lots of ideas, regardless of our actual positions:<br />
<br />
Political anarchism? Check.<br />
Human sexuality? Check.<br />
Trump as an existential dictatorial threat to Western Civilization? Check.<br />
Darwinism and Intelligent Design? Check.<br />
The intersection of technology and philosophy? Check.<br />
<br />
But there's more! We also aren't interested in claims that certain genres of literature are “uncool.” Who cares?<br />
<br />
We are readers. Avid readers of wide-ranging works. Readers who cultivate what Tolkien called “the leaf mold” of the mind, the topsoil of our moral imagination and creativity.<br />
<br />
We aren't embarrassed to enjoy “kid lit” and YA fiction, or afraid to read sociological & political works that challenge our assumptions. We enjoy classic novels, hard-boiled crime thrillers, controversial works of theology & culture, economics, productivity & personal development. We are not bound by social or political convention.<br />
<br />
We “read for pleasure in an age of distraction” (Alan Jacobs). We consume and engage books for stimulation, conviction & enrichment. We want to stretch our minds, grow in empathy, & experience the joys & challenges of reading good books.<br />
<br />
We read with an open mind in order to close it on something.<br />
<br />
--------------------------------<br />
<br />
“But wait! Shouldn't it be CloseD Minded (with a d)?”<br />
<br />
Welcome, fellow grammar nerd, to my tortured existence. I do happen to believe that “Closed Minded” is preferable to “Close Minded”–and thus, I die a little bit inside each time I say or write it. HOWEVER, I went with “Close Minded” for two reasons. First, technically both are considered acceptable–see here and here. Second, when I compared the Google search results for both spellings, “Close” had exponentially more hits, so I followed the basic rules of internet marketing and went with what people are actually searching for.<br />
<br />
Case close, er, closed.<br />
<br />
Subscribe here: www.closemindedpodcast.com/subscribe
Carrie Severino on the Kavanaugh Confirmation One Year Later