Most people believe they are open-minded and would like others to be they perceive them as such. But for the things that matter most – religious beliefs, for example, or the meaning of life – few of us are really willing to think about it. we may be wronglet alone do the hard work of revising beliefs. At a fundamental level, we humans are somewhat closed-minded.
As social psychologistI investigate big questions, like what it gives meaning to life and the nature of humility. I’ve had a long-standing interest in why people are so resistant to changing their cherished core beliefs. Besides, it’s not like that better to keep an open mind when can you be wrong or can’t know for sure?
As decades of research has revealed, it turns out that our deepest beliefs serve important psychological functions which make them difficult to change. It is unsettling to admit that our core beliefs about how the world works may be wrong.
That’s what I call an opening”existential humility»: willingness to change our minds about our deepest beliefs when presented with new evidence. And while holding beliefs in this way can be difficult, it can also be a bridge to building stronger relationships and inclusive communities.
Power of worldview
All of us have a myriad of beliefs that range from the mundane to the sublime. “Is pineapple a legal pizza topping?” is very different from “Is there life after death?” However, these seemingly disparate beliefs are connected through an interrelated set of ideas and principles that help us understand ourselves and the world around us.
Psychologists call these sets of beliefs “worldviews”, and provide people with a sense of meaning in an otherwise confused and chaotic world. It is a constellation of beliefs that shape what people value, consider important, and perceive as morally right and wrong.
It’s natural to they take worldviews for grantedassuming other intelligent people see the world the same way.
At the core of these worldviews are your most cherished beliefs: who you are, what the meaning of life is, what constitutes right and wrong. Ask yourself how willing you are to revise these beliefs. How sure are you that you are right? What would it take to change those beliefs?
Probably a lot.
Cost of interrogation
Answering these big, existential questionsworldviews can help manage stress. Strong beliefs help people get through the day. For example, belief in an afterlife it can block the fear of mortality, because it denies that death is the end of existence.
Lack of certainty, on the other hand, can allow existential anxiety to creep in.
In 2022, my colleagues and I presented research participants with a list of existential issues and asked them reflect on what they believed. We also asked them to rate how committed they were to their beliefs and how open they were to change.
AP Photo/Amr Nabil
Participants then rated their stress and well-being. For example, they rated how much sense of meaning and purpose they had in their lives and how much peace, if any, they derived from religion.
In several studies, including college students, adults, and people who have significantly revised their religious beliefs, we found that being open to changing core beliefs often comes at a cost to their well-being. For example, higher existential humility was associated with higher anxiety about death and a lower sense of meaning in life.
2 basic needs
This research speaks to a broader paradox between two of humanity’s deepest and seemingly competing drives: certainty and curiosity. Both involve compromises.
On the one hand, people desire belief, which provides security. It’s nice to think you have the answer to deep and consequential questions.
The downside of conviction, however, is that it often breeds intolerance: people can be so convinced that they are right that they leave no room for other people’s opinions. Faith becomes a zero sum game.
Even the mere existence of alternative views it can feel threatening to some people with strong beliefs. To regain confidence in our own views, we may try to convince other people to change their minds, simply downplay their perspective, or try to eliminate their worldview altogether. Unfortunately, violence often stems from desire protects ideological beliefs.
On the other hand, people also desire growth. Curiosity leads people to new discoveries and helps them remain open to changing their minds if they encounter strong enough evidence to do so.
But while this openness makes people tolerant, it can also make them prone to stress.
In other words, holding onto security about important beliefs provides intrapersonal benefits: The person who holds those beliefs feels a strong sense of meaning and security. But it comes at an interpersonal cost: less tolerance for other people’s opinions.
Conversely, a growth-focused openness makes people more tolerant and generous, but it can come psychological cost.
Why and how
My research exploring existential humility offers critical insights into why it is so difficult for people to change their minds.
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Because people’s worldviews include interrelated beliefs, admitting that they were wrong about something small means they could also be wrong about something big. Instead of dealing with this stress, people often double the defense.
Existential humility benefits other people in one’s life, from friends and neighbors to strangers. But it can take a psychological toll, and many people see that cost as too great.
Given the benefits, however, I believe this cost they are worth enduring.
Friedrich Nietzsche can offer wisdom here. In “Twilight of the Idols,” the philosopher argued, “He who has a reason to live, can bear almost any way.” The “why” of existential humility, I would argue, is to become better neighbors, active participants in making this world a more loving place.
As for how? Practice.
There is no quick fix to becoming more open-minded. It requires developing a tolerance for the feelings of distress that can arise when we are unsure. Over time, people adapt, becoming more comfortable with having beliefs rather than the possibility of being wrong. We make peace with uncertainty – we are friends with this tension.
Existential humility is difficult to experience, but I believe society needs it more than ever. A commitment to the practice of this virtue can transform us and our communities. And that seems worth it to me.
