Open-minded & other important personality traits

Jul 23, 2004

What, in today's society, does “being open–minded” actually mean? In the past, I think it may have simply meant being open to hearing different viewpoints without being a Quick Draw McGraw in judging someone. These days, there is a whole underground of “code” of man/womanspeak that takes the original meanings of words and changes them. When someone requests that someone be open–minded what questions come to mind?

• Are they kinky?
• Do they have a debilitating disease?
• Are we talking about tolerance for listening to new age esoterica?
• Do they live an alternative lifestyle? (e.g. a transvestite or pre-op tranny?)
• Do they belong to some cult-like religion and hope to recruit me?

These are the things that we've come up with. What do you think?

Other related personality trait topic: I’m not good at telling jokes. I always forget the punch line, or flub the delivery. Some people just are not good at using other people’s material or even material that has been written specifically for them. I am one of them. Telling canned stories and jokes is an art. It’s an art that I have not developed successfully. If you let me make stuff up, or go off road extemporaneous, I can be funny, but follow a preordained script, I fall flat on my face every time. How important is being able to tell a joke?

These questions and more are plaguing me on a Friday morning.