Quote:Original post by OpwizIt is not that I can blame the 'weakminded'-people for being as they are, eductions play a big part here. In the early days it was more: "Pick a side and stick with it". Now it is more growing towards the: "Take a few moments to re-evaluate yourself and your work now and then". Seemingly this last approach leads to more open-minded attitude, which is better in group-work relations.

I think it is okay to be 'weakminded' as long you learn from your mistakes. It is certainly not obvious to autoreflect now and then, it something you need learn.

I believe "not learning from our mistakes" is a major form of weakmindedness, so perhaps we agree more than you realize.

But if not learning from our mistakes is weakminded, what do you call it when people strongly advocate ideas/approaches/technologies/products before they even work with them (and their alternatives) [much]? This is even more weakminded, because the person supports (and fails to question) [popular] fads and opinions before they observe their consequences with their own eyes/work/projects.

Anyone who thinks for himself and seriously applies his/other ideas, then honestly observes and identifies the consequences of their application - is not weakminded. But this is not common in the short-attention-span, instant-gratification, media-hype-PR world of today.

Let me try to be more precise about what weakminded and not weakminded means. We are not weakminded when we are completely honest with ourselves, including how strong/certain our opinion can be given the degree of time and effort we've invested in a specific topic. In contrast, weakminded people take positions because they are popular (or somehow easier), and therefore "safe" (or lazy) to advocate (the crowd will not look down on you (or effortless)). Honestly, I think many people have never bothered to force themself to be ruthlessly independent in their thinking and opinions when it is significantly inconvenient or uncomfortable. They have little idea what this notion means, because they have thoroughly habituated lazy/easy [weakminded] "thinking".

BTW (elsewhere in your message), I too fill dozens if not hundreds of pieces of paper with ideas and drawing before (and during) many complex, non-trivial, important projects (and parts thereof).