The benefits of fostering beginner's mind

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Cecilia Guan |

TEDxMiltonAcademy

• September 2022

Many of us typically disengage or even double down on our beliefs when we encounter opinions at odds with our own. Our biases tell us we have all the answers but, according to psychology grad Cecilia Guan, this mentality only stifles the marketplace of ideas. Combining Zen Buddhist practices with psychological concepts, Guan suggests fostering our "beginner's mind"—a way of engaging with the world without preconceptions—to seek mutual understanding in a polarized world.