Over the past year, I have discovered a lot about myself- like beginning to learn what my goals are in life, who my friends are, what I like and what I do not particularly enjoy- amongst many other things. Obviously these things may change throughout the course of my lifetime, and they have changed so much already. However, there are some things that I feel will always be important to me- one of those being my love and appreciation for open minded people.

It is when speaking to someone with an open mind that lets me to thoroughly recognize the absolute beauty of conversation. I consider myself to be a rather reserved and soft spoken individual, but also someone with a lot to say. I tend to not particularly take well to small talk. However, when speaking with open minded individuals, I usually find myself feeling comfortable enough to let my thoughts just flow out of me. I come out of my shell a little more, and any fear of being judged dissipates. Then come the deep, intellectual, open-minded conversations that I have come to value so much.

To me, the difference between having a conversation with an open minded individual and a person who is more closed minded is not a difference in values, but rather a difference in listening. Think of the great Winston Churchill quote, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen" Having an open mind does not mean not having strong feelings about particular topics. A lot of open minded people that I know are very passionate about certain things, however, they also take time to view situations from the opposite side and try to understand why the other side feels the way they do. Sometimes this may influence the way they feel and sometimes it does not, but they seem to take in all the information that they can to form their decisions. They think a lot, and ponder the world around them, and I like that. They really listen to you and your views on the world, and even if they don't agree with you, they don't treat you like any less of a person for having a different opinion. If anything, they try and learn from you.

All in all, I think we could all afford to be more open minded. Our world is so great because of the different personalities and differences in opinion. You may disagree with someone and think that their viewpoints are rather out there, but before you go shutting them down, try to take in what they are saying and to view the world from their shoes, and who knows, maybe you just might learn something new.