Denny Shaefer, a popular radio disk jockey from a Utah area morning show, is a very misunderstood person. Every morning he expresses his opinion on any topic that affects our community of Salt Lake City. Most people think he is an arrogant person and at times extremely conservative. People need to learn to be open to change and also learn the true meaning of open mindedness. In order to be open minded you must be able to listen, find a good, and make your own decision.
First, in order to be open minded, you have to be able to listen. This technique is often the leading cause of problems in our society. Learning to listen effectively is not an easy thing to do. In order to be an effective listener, you have to be able not to make a judgment before listening to all the facts and information. For example, when somebody like Mr. Shaefer speaks his mind on the radio, you might feel like some of his points are well taken, but others are rather absurd. You must be able to listen to every point, don't close your mind because what you are hearing is not something that you might have an interest in. Furthermore, you have to be empathetic towards the listener, even if the speaker is somebody you do not like.
Second, in order to be open minded you must find the good of every issue. This sounds like a hard thing to do, but you must always try to find a positive aspect about the topic. This will enable your mind to be more attentive towards the speaker. For instance, if Mr. Shaefer talks about abortion in a non-conservative way, you might feel offended by his comments. Yet, you might also like the idea he proposed on the thought that education starts at home. You must always find a good for every topic; in this case, you might not like his views on abortion, although you might like the comment he made about education starting at home. Being a good listener and being able to find the good are the hardest things to do, so you must be careful not be biased under any circumstances.
