The beauty and danger of an open mind

I like to discover new thoughts and ideas. Whereas some people get offended when their work gets debunked, it gives me the thrills. I recently discovered some literature that puts a significant part of my PhD in question. I couldn’t have been more excited and didn’t stop reading for the next three days. I am especially intrigued with thoughts that counter the mainstream, appear to be cutting edge, and have the potential to rearrange my whole worldview. If you have a similar quirk, these are the three upsides and three downsides I found true (for myself).

Upsides

1. I don’t get offended easily
2. I am inquisitive about the world 
3. I can quickly adapt to all kinds of groups and contexts 

Downsides

1. I am prone to be intrigued by conspiracy theories.
2. I don’t have a powerful point of view, which is what is often expected of an “expert” to break through the noise. 
3. I constantly question my thoughts and approaches to the point that it is unproductive.