If You Could Be Reborn, Would You Be Black or White?

That is an LEARNER'S Publication. Therefore, the meaning of the words have been simplified for easy understanding, like most American vernacular. :lol: I repeat, your definition is extremely vague. When will that concept sink!? Are you really trying to debate an Oxford grad upon the English language!?

I state why that concept is vague here:

For one, you are implying I must "listen" to find a "middle ground" -- but you do not determine how much do I listen if there is no middle ground.

 

Well, here's the definition from the big daddy: (OED)

open-minded, a

[< OPEN a. + MINDED a.2 Cf. slightly earlier OPEN MIND n.]

Having an open mind; receptive to new ideas; unprejudiced.
1748 S. RICHARDSON Clarissa VII. xcvi. 358 Such persons generally find it to their purpose, that all the world should be open-minded but themselves. 1828 Foreign Rev. 2 115 Open-minded, truth-seeking men. 1861 T. HUGHES Tom Brown at Oxf. III. xii. 223 In fact, he is a wonderfully open-minded man for his age, if you only put things to him the right way. 1903 G. B. SHAW Let. 6 Mar. (1972) II. 316 You can't feel at home with anything that is strange, no matter how open-minded you may be. 2001 Financial Times 5/3 (advt.) We're open-minded about credit history and flexible about forms of ID.

 

Thank you, MistressB, I was looking for a free online source for OED.

The point remains 7Seven and you've yet to refute it

your definition

does not even come close to

Oxford English - Learner's (they'll never realise its vernacular) - edition's definition:

OR American's (as overly simplistic :lol: as they may be):

OR even your own "authority" OED

These are not MY definitions so you and I don't have any thing to argue about. I would suggest you take your concerns about the vagueness of the definition of open-minded to the nearest lexicographer and convince them to replace their definition with yours. Or, you can write to

OED appeals and submissions
To suggest a new word, or contribute new evidence for a word already in the OED, please contact us as follows:

Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford University Press
Great Clarendon Street
Oxford, OX2 6DP
Tel: +44 (0)1865 353660
Fax: +44 (0)1865 353811
E-mail: oed3@oup.com

 

It's actually good to be close/narrow-minded to a degree, because if you're not, then you'll pretty much fall for, or believe anything and everything...

however, it never hurts to keep learning, and a part of learning is actually listening to others, even if they don't always make sense, or if you just simply disagree with what they believe.

 

:lol: The context between receptiveness to "new ideas" and "different ideas" is completely different - which eventually lead to Truth seeking men. Stated here:

Which of course is totally within the context of my definition in receptiveness to "new ideas." It implies critical thinking to develop rational evaluations, because it values skepticism over gullibility or dogmatism. Now ya feel mate!?

 

willing to listen to and discuss sure, new ideas but dont have to accept them to be open minded, that ME

 

As long as there were beautiful white women, I'd be black and a man, again and again and again.

Sometimes I wish I could have straight hair, but all the other colors have straight hair cept us Africanos, and Asians have the best, so that's irrelevant.

 

Hey 7,

I've been thinking about what word your definition of open-minded

applied to and for the life of me I could not think what it could be. I mean openminded is a modifier. You defined a person. Finally, it came to me: You've defined debater, but, not just any debater - a master debater! :lol:

 

man, i would choose black, over, and over, and over again, in fact i wish i was even DARKER. i'm certainly not one of those who cling to distant white or asian blood, like a lot of people out there want to.

i certainly don't want to be part of any race where people can go about and think their s---- don't stink and i certainly want to no part of any group that feels subsurvient to other races, but superior to others. i'll play the underdog each and every god damn time and laugh at fate and the supposed order of society.

 

:lol: Our philosophies are different and it is obvious, but each are dually respected. I want to give absolute meaning to just about every word that I use, others use them a bit loosely. As long as we both understand the denotations and connotations of each word then arguments would be productive. I have always said, words and the meaning of the words are of utmost importance and I always want keep faith to it.