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BecomeOpenMinded:TheBenefitsofEmbracingNewPeopleandIdeastinybuddha.com
tinybuddha.com
You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the
only way, it does not exist. ~Friedrich Nietzsche
Toward the end of last spring I was feeling a little restless in Los Angeles, so I decided to
take some time in the summer to live on a yoga retreat in Hawaii. I was set on recharging
and finding comfort in like-minded people who valued slowing down and mindfulness.
Learning was not at the top of my list; I was there to unwind from a tough semester and
recharge for the semester ahead of me.
https://www.readability.com/articles/muicfacy
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2/16/2016
BecomeOpenMinded:TheBenefitsofEmbracingNewPeopleandIdeastinybuddha.com
https://www.readability.com/articles/muicfacy
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2/16/2016
BecomeOpenMinded:TheBenefitsofEmbracingNewPeopleandIdeastinybuddha.com
After pensive thoughts about who I should start surrounding myself with, I realized
I should focus on that less and start putting my energy into the kind of person I
wanted to be.
I asked myself, Will my values continue to be deep-rooted in constructivism, politics, and
action, or will I be like the bohemian girls I met on the retreat?
The truth is, neither of these perspectives truly satisfied me. After swinging from one
extreme to another, I realized I felt more comfortable picking and choosing my
philosophies as opportunities and experiences unraveled themselves over time.
I shifted my mindset to discard my dreams of finding a one-size-fits all philosophy,
and settled for middle ground.
This new perspective has influenced my own work in the field of political psychology; it
has shaped way I approach politics; I now analyze it from a bottom-to-top perspective
versus a top-to-bottom paradigm.
I have decided I feel better when I am nonpartisan, and simply support platforms based on
how they fit with my values at the moment.
I am learning to trust myself, because I am learning that with new experiences,
values can shift, and that is okay.
I am going back to this yoga retreat this summer, and hope to go in with a better attitude
and more openness so that I get more out of the experience. The whole approach of going
in with my mind made up with who I am and what others should be like has not worked
for me.
This is not to say that I am giving up on reasoned judgment, but that I will place
more emphasis on learning and being receptive to change, since it is inevitable
anyway.
So in retrospect, when I went to this retreat in Hawaii last summer, I didnt think I would
learn valuable skills that would serve me in sickness. Thats the beautiful thing about
travelingtrying on different perspectives that make you into a more multilayered,
understanding person.
I realize that we may not all get the opportunities to travel, and it can be easy to get so
immersed in our own perspective and way of being that we fail to grow from the contrast
that travel can provide.
As Alexis de Tocquevilleonce said, Without comparisons, the mind does not know how to
proceed.
https://www.readability.com/articles/muicfacy
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2/16/2016
BecomeOpenMinded:TheBenefitsofEmbracingNewPeopleandIdeastinybuddha.com
I hold the belief that without regular checkpoints and contrast in life, we may develop
tunnel vision, which can influence us to think and behave in ways that limit us. Here is
some insight and advice I have gathered to bring some perspective:
Original URL:
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/become-open-minded-the-benefits-of-embracing-newpeople-and-ideas/
https://www.readability.com/articles/muicfacy
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