Open-minded or gullible

[Wyatt]

What's the difference between someone who's open-minded and someone who's gullible?

[Cepzeu]

Someone who is open-minded is able to hold new information as plausible and does not automatically discount it given their prior experience. In other words, they are open to something unusual being the case, even if it clashes with their current paradigm of life. They do not take this on as a belief, they are willing to investigate the idea with direct experience.

Someone who is gullible takes on an idea or belief as being true simply from persuasion by others.

 

Example: 

Flat-earth:

Open minded person: Well, I've been told that the earth is round, but is it possible that the earth is really flat? For instance, I feel that the earth is flat, but I may not have all the evidence to know for sure. Let me have a look at the different arguments around these two views and the evidence presented. (Possibly in the future) Let me fly out to space and see whether the earth is round or flat. I could be deluded in thinking the earth is round. To be honest, I've never really questioned where my idea of a round earth came from. Let me hold these two views as possibilities until I have more evidence to point me to the truth of the matter.

Gullible person: The earth is flat because that's what my dad told me. Everyone in my village knows that the earth is flat. Why would it be round???? It feels flat. 

[Preety_India]

 

The main difference between a person who is open minded and a gullible person is... 

The open minded person will always ask questions to know more and try to connect the dots to arrive at a logical conclusion or at least have a confirmation on the facts. 

Whereas a gullible person will simply absorb information without any investigation and believe because others believe and not use his rational or critical reasoning and discernment skills to question the nature of things or verify facts. 

 

 

 

[Consept]

2 hours ago, Cepzeu said:

Someone who is open-minded is able to hold new information as plausible and does not automatically discount it given their prior experience. In other words, they are open to something unusual being the case, even if it clashes with their current paradigm of life. They do not take this on as a belief, they are willing to investigate the idea with direct experience.

Someone who is gullible takes on an idea or belief as being true simply from persuasion by others.

 

Example: 

Flat-earth:

Open minded person: Well, I've been told that the earth is round, but is it possible that the earth is really flat? For instance, I feel that the earth is flat, but I may not have all the evidence to know for sure. Let me have a look at the different arguments around these two views and the evidence presented. (Possibly in the future) Let me fly out to space and see whether the earth is round or flat. I could be deluded in thinking the earth is round. To be honest, I've never really questioned where my idea of a round earth came from. Let me hold these two views as possibilities until I have more evidence to point me to the truth of the matter.

Gullible person: The earth is flat because that's what my dad told me. Everyone in my village knows that the earth is flat. Why would it be round???? It feels flat. 

What if after investigating the flat earth the person holds on to a belief the earth is flat and even the importance of that being the case, disregarding or finding circular logic and stretching facts to explain why its flat. Is that gullible or what is that?

[Cepzeu]

12 hours ago, Consept said:

What if after investigating the flat earth the person holds on to a belief the earth is flat and even the importance of that being the case, disregarding or finding circular logic and stretching facts to explain why its flat. Is that gullible or what is that?

That is slightly tangential to OP's post as that delves into reality-making. Nevertheless, that is what you are doing all the time to create your reality .

But on a more surface level, if they are conscious that they are stretching some evidence and disregarding other evidence then they will deep down know their belief isn't solid, they are lying to themselves. If they are unconsciously stretching some evidence and disregarding other evidence, that is ignorance. Most people are doing the latter.

Gullibility is simply blind trust.