In the Name of Being "Broadminded"…

The word “broadminded” has such conflicting connotations that, like all words, it can be positive or negative. It can mean a commendable and understanding tolerance, a constructive open-mindedness, or it can mean an undiscriminating lack of standards, lack of conviction, lack of moral perception. It may or may not be a virtue, depending upon the kind of quality of broadmindedness it is.

Robert Browning said: “There are those who believe something, and therefore will tolerate nothing; and on the other hand, those who tolerate everything, because they believe nothing.”

“An open mind is all very well in its way,” said Samuel Butler, “but it ought not be so open that there is no keeping anything in or out of it. It should be capable of shutting its doors sometimes . . .”

Broadmindedness, insofar as it leads to understanding, to truth, insofar as it is willing to weigh and consider facts, and insofar as it is unwilling to judge before the facts, is a commendable quality. Narrowness-especially narrow-mindedness is a word that no one likes in much of its meanings. Yet there are some citations about “broadness” which suggest some reflection⎯as to “. . . temptations . . . [that] leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.” “. . . for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction . . .”

Men must be open-minded as to prejudices, as to people and their problems, as to unproved propositions. But they must have standards and discrimination, and must not in the name of broadmindedness encourage error or condone evil.

To return to Robert Browning: “There are those who believe something, and therefore will tolerate nothing; and on the other hand, those who tolerate everything, because they believe nothing.”