The Importance Of Being A Free And Open Thinker (Questioning Everything You See And Hear).

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From a total general perspective of life and the changes that we go through as we evolve, I believe that most of us become more stubborn and set in our ways as we get older. I know that I'm generalizing a bit in saying this, but I'm certain that most of you have encountered other people that are set in their ways. Probably the biggest example that we've all had when it comes to having interactions with stubborn people is our family. Most of us probably have grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles that you can't really change. They have certain views on life that they're not willing to change or compromise on, and that is just the way that it is. While the example that I have referenced to deals with people that may be a little more older, it is also true that some younger people exhibit great levels of stubbornness. Similar to our older counterparts that have more experience with life than we do, many of us aren't the free and open thinkers that we have the ability to be. We are often so consumed with seeing and listening to what the media and others say that we don't take out the time to really think and question much of what we see and hear. It is almost like we would rather have other people and sources of entertainment do our thinking for us. In a society where the media and masses have control of much of what is being shown and heard, this is something that I see as being a issue. We have to be free and open thinkers in today's world, and in order to be these things, we have to be willing to question everything that we see and hear.

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening wherever you may be or when you see this. How is everyone doing out there this time around? It is Brad H. coming back at you all once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am back once more to drop my thoughts on another topic that I feel can be of help to others. I appreciate all of you in advance that have stopped by to check out what I have to say. Before going more in depth on this week's topic, man what a World Series that we got treated to didn't we? I'm sure that most of you by now know that the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3. The victory marked the Astros very first MLB championship. In the previous entry that I done on here, I talked about how I was pulling for the Astros, but how I would also be okay with the Dodgers winning. I'm an Astros fan first, but I like a lot of the players that are on the Dodgers team as well. I had a feeling that this World Series would be an epic one, and it did not disappoint. George Springer was absolutely terrific throughout the entire series, which is really great considering how rough of a start he had in game 1 against Clayton Kershaw. Those young guns that Houston have in Springer, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa are the real deal. Congratulations goes to the Houston Astros and the city of Houston as well. As I stated in the last entry, it is nice to see something like this happen for the city of Houston after everything the city has endured this year. With all the young talent on that roster, Houston has a lot to look forward to. Big ups to the Dodgers as well. Really both teams deserve a lot of credit for giving us such a great series to watch. Alright now that I've gotten on my soapbox for a bit, lets go ahead and get into this week's topic of questioning everything you see and hear.

As with the standard formula that I go with on here, before getting into the topic at hand, I'd like to say that we all have different viewpoints and perspectives on the way we view things. The main objective with this topic isn't to focus on right or wrong, but rather to hopefully put some inspiration out there that will encourage us in our daily lives. Beyond that, I also hope that these topics can also help others to see things in a manner in which they may not have thought of before. I'm just one person with an opinion, so I don't expect everyone to agree with me or my views. I just hope that whatever (if anything) is gained from this will be helpful to others. As for how this topic came to be, I would just attribute it to the regular thoughts that I have. There wasn't any conversation or feedback from someone else that inspired me to want to talk about this topic. The idea of keeping an open mind is something that I already think about on a regular basis. It is also something that I've written about on here in the past. I've mentioned it before, but I think it is important to sometimes revisit ideas that you may have addressed before. Since we are constantly changing and evolving as we become older, our thoughts also do the same. It isn't necessarily that you always change your thoughts completely. You may have the same viewpoint on something that you may have always had, but there may be certain aspects of that viewpoint that has changed for you. I think it is all about constantly expanding our minds, which is something that I encourage on here.

I referenced earlier in this post how so many of us are stubborn and set in our ways. Now in saying this, I'm in no way saying that a person shouldn't be stubborn at times. Heck, I think we all have things that we are stubborn about at times. Depending on what it may be, being stubborn can sometimes be a positive thing. The perspective that I'm going to be coming from with this topic deals with stubbornness that is degenerative to our lives. What do I mean by this? Being stubborn is one thing, but being stubborn to the point where it is hurting you is an entirely different monster in my opinion. Imagine having a friend or relative that you've been warning that if they don't change some of their ways soon, something bad will likely end up happening to them. I'm sure that example sounds pretty familiar right? We've all been on both sides of the spectrum where we're the ones being stubborn, as well as having to deal with other people being stubborn. It is just one of those things that is a part of life. However, constantly displaying habits of stubbornness and being so set in our ways can limit us from being free and open thinkers. Because we're so stubborn and headstrong in some of our beliefs, we're unable to allow our minds to be open to new ideas and possibilities. This is where the importance of being a free and open thinker factors into play. If we're not willing to listen and be open to what others are saying, how will we be able to learn and grow? Furthermore, a person that isn't a free thinker will often fall victim to false facts and ideas.

One of the biggest aspects of being a free and open thinker deals with the things that we see and hear. We will often see things on television, online, etc, and we'll often hear things from people that most of us will believe. Someone that doesn't open their mind to the possibility that everything that is shown and heard may not always be the facts will always see things at face value. From my perspective, it is extremely bad to just believe what you see and hear is just what it is. I see this as a bad thing because our society often thrives on people being able to sway and manipulate others. There are so many things that are shown and said that is straight up false and untrue, but the media and people in general do a good job of selling it as being facts. Because of this, a person that isn't a free and open thinker can and will likely be easily manipulated by others. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I'm sure that most of you don't like to feel like someone else has intentionally misled you. Now I'm in one way saying that no one is vulnerable to being misled or manipulated. None of us know everything, so there will always be moments in our lives where people are going to manipulate us. The point of what I'm saying is that we will be less likely to be made a fool out of if we're able to be free and open thinkers when it comes to the things that we see and hear. This is exactly the reason why I feel that being stubborn and set in our ways can be a potential downfall.

So how do we get the point where we're free and open thinkers? I think the main way to become more open is listening more to others. I know this is the obvious answer, but how many of us really do listen to what others are saying? Remember that most people have very short attention spans and more importantly, many of us are quick to want to talk, which means that we don't always listen fully. We gotta change this in my opinion. Also, don't be so willing to dismiss what others are saying. It is important to question and be skeptical of what people are saying, but try not to completely close your mind to what is being said. Keeping an open mind and having a willingness to hear others out even when you may not always agree is key to being a more free and open thinker. Finally, don't believe or take everything that you see or hear at face value. There is often a hidden meaning to whatever we see and hear, and we'll never know what it is if we don't keep our minds open. The quote that I found that I will close this topic out with comes from a man that is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time, Leo Tolstoy. It reads; "Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking."

We are once again at the end of another topic my people. Thank you once again to all of you that took out the time to check out another one of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I hope that this topic provided some meaning and insight for all of those that came through. If you have any comments to add to this topic or any of the others, feel free to do so. I don't know about you all, but it is finally beginning to feel like fall here in Texas. The leaves are falling, and the weather has become a bit more chill. This is easily one of my favorite times of the year. I'm just ready to see some full fledged winter weather soon. Plus, we have Thanksgiving around the corner, so the holiday season is near. Well I'm going to go ahead and get up out of here, so I hope you all have a great and happy weekend. Take care of yourselves, and be safe wherever you are. I look forward to seeing you all in the next one. Till then, keep your heads up and keep on pressing forward everyone. Peace!

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