When we control our mind, we control our ideas. When there’s no info that will change our ideas, then our ideas control our mind. Our ideas control us. Being open minded is living by the framework that no idea controls us.
The best sounding idea is different from the best idea. When ideas hijack our identity, they make us seek confirmation and reject dissent. This leads to complacency in the marketplace of ideas. Those who are open minded seek truth.
It can be uncomfortable, but we must seek out dissent. One method is by asking questions, e.g., what are the possible scenarios where I’m wrong? What primitives am I basing my reasoning off of? What frameworks am I applying to my primitives? We do this for decisions as simple as what to call a button to as complicated as how to optimize a system of workflows across disparate teams.
It’s not a coincidence that the tech world and meditation community are intertwined. Meditation can be a shortcut to letting go of existing beliefs. It’s a powerful practice in being a reset button that allows one to see the world with fresh eyes.
Ender is full of open minded individuals who seek out dissent. We challenge assumptions.
Being open minded means admitting we don’t know everything. It means we’re willing to challenge previously held beliefs. Our job is to create solutions never created before. In order to sharpen our ideas, we must constantly challenge them. Open mindedness is what leads to innovation.
Being open minded leads to conviction in our ideas. Conviction in our processes. Conviction in our product. We have this conviction because our ideas are battle tested. Our ideas are veterans who have seen hundreds of battles and remain victorious. Our ideas aren’t afraid to face new challengers. We see it as an opportunity for our ideas to prove themselves once more. We see it as an opportunity to sharpen them. It takes curiosity to challenge ideas.
We want people who are curious. Curious about life, curious about the world. Curious about how things work. Curious about why things work. Curious about each other.