Open-Mindedness and the closed mind - or, "Unless you think like me, you are narrow minded"

 Dialogue, open-mindedness, and diverse perspectives. This is a common topic from the intellectual arena to daily life conversations. We can sense a certain pride in the tone of those who tout themselves as being outside of “bubbles,” while pointing that others live in echo chambers. The implicit assumption is that their own view represents a kind of neutral, enlightened or superior ground—while others are simply stuck in echo chambers. This can go from pretentious at best to intellectual dishonesty at worst. But often, when these same people say they want a conversation, what they really mean is that they are sure others will think like them once they “open their minds.” Unless you think like them, you're likely narrow/closed minded.

What really happens is that this tactic serves as a way to hamper productive discussion. It works like this: you make a point, engage in argument, and then, instead of countering with substance, the other person finds him/herself at a corner with no way to counter point it clearly, and resorts to, “You just need to be more open-minded” or “You’re trapped in your bubble.” The implication? Your position is invalid not because of its content, but simply because it exists within a framework different from theirs. This rhetorical move isn’t about fostering intellectual engagement; it’s about dismissing disagreement clothed as broad-mindedness.

The Myth of the Neutral Ground

The problem with the "open-minded argument" is that it often assumes there is some higher, more objective position that allows one to stand above everyone else and judge which ideas are “bubbled” and which are “free.” However, as we know it is impossible to be neutral. Every person operates within a framework, a set of presuppositions that shape how they see the world. The problem isn’t having a framework—it’s pretending not to have one while criticizing others for theirs.

Christianity operates withing a framework. It is formatted and grounded by the Word of God. Now, the Christian faith is not just one opinion among many; it is founded on revealed truth. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). While the Christian faith and teaching may be perceived as a “bubble” only, is not an arbitrary ideological refuge - it is the ground of truth, assured by the Word and upheld by faith in Jesus Christ. 

This means that we are not called to abandon what we know is the revealed truth in the name of worldly “openness”, or just to make it possible to converse with other "echo chambers". Especially when we know that many "bubbles" won't change their worldview to embrace the Christian Truth. In this context, speaking the truth in love, we are are called to share, witness and even “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Here's where the value of a closed mind weighs in.

The Value of a Closed Mind

It is a truism of our time that an open mind is always virtuous, but an open mind is only as good as what it lets in—and what it allows to stay. A closed mind is necessary to retain what is true, just as a locked vault is necessary to protect what is valuable. G.K. Chesterton observed, “Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” A mind that is continually open to everything will eventually stand for nothing.

In that sense, Christians cultivate a closed mind. In a culture obsessed with open-mindedness and being on "the right side of History", there is great value in having a well-formed, closed mind—closed not to people, but to error; not to dialogue, but to deception. A mind grounded in Christ that remains steadfast before tricky trends, anchored in His eternal truth, and lovingly steadfast in the face of resistance.

Of course, this does not mean we will refuse dialogue. Christians are called to “always be prepared to make a defence” (1 Peter 3:15). But defending the faith does not require surrendering it. We do not need to apologize for holding to the truth, nor do we need to accept the idea that all perspectives are equally valid. For we know that the road that leads to the right gate is not broad, but narrow and precise, and secure.

In the end, the demand for open-mindedness is often just a demand for conformity. It assumes that if you truly think freely, you will inevitably come to the “right” conclusions—meaning theirs. But true intellectual integrity means recognizing that no one stands on a neutral pedestal, and that faith, reason, and conviction are not things to be discarded in pursuit of an illusory “open-mindedness.”

After all, an open mind is necessary to learn. But a closed mind is needed to retain what really matters.