Thesis Statement
In the book Inherit The Wind, by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee it shows that having an open mind
is very important. That, even though your life (or criminal record) depends on it, comprehending the
other person's point is just as important as making your own. Those who do NOT possess an open mind l
lack a crucial part of their personality that makes them hear the other person out. Open Mindedness
may be expressed in a number of ways, but this book proves that those who are perceptive in ANY way
progress rapidly compared to those who decline anybody’s beliefs but their own. This theory is
repeated over and over again, not in words, but in failures and arguments as the trial “book” progresses.
Those who have an open mind usually make the best points, and those who don’t usually end up yelling
or getting embarrassed in front of the jury.
For example, in the book, a character named Rachel is very open minded. She is a second-grade teacher,
deceived into being part of the trial against the one she supports. She is a very apprehensive but
receptive person. She tries to understand other's points of view. She cares if people understand, not just
if she makes an influence. Quote: “it would help Bert if people here could read this. It would help them
understand.....!". Her open mindedness helps her succeed throughout the book. She attempts to
placidly explain how she feels, and does not lash out with rage every time she is misunderstood, she
simply puts it another way. Rachel also progresses as a person better towards the end. Although one
might not notice it much, she becomes a little less timid, and tries to argue and prove things more. She
also starts trusting herself a li...
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...out evolution, and he is still, however, a little
uncertain about what he believes. He, though, does not shun either side, and is is sometimes hard to tell
weather he is debating at all or not. He is just a child, and that might be part of the reason he does not
put up much of an argument against either part of the trial. It may also be because he is the kind of
person that does not want to argue but is very patient and observative about what the other being, no
matter their personality, is trying to point out.
The book proves that no matter how you one puts, having an open mind is sometimes even better than
having a louder voice or a stronger, more intimidating argument. It also shows that the people that had
open minds did better, and were much more likable and interesting characters than the ones who were
just intent on getting their way.
she is innocent, that she did none of those things. Her family comes up with a petition that the
...hem as the result of her efforts, and then conclude that she has the ability to confront the problems she has.
she will not put up with how she is treated. She has the courage to
she discovers what it meant for her to be attractive growing up. She was constantly
The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) has several characteristics, including truth seeking and open mindedness (Laird). The CCTDI says that “Open mindedness incorporates one’s tolerance of different viewpoints and sensitivity to one’s own biases” (Laird, 368). “Items on the CCTDI used to measure open-mindedness include ‘It concerns me that I might have biases of which I’m not aware’” (Laird, 368). In order to address and perhaps minimize biases, exposing students to a diverse educational setting has proven to hep develop critical thinking skills needed to reflect on current prejudices. Indeed, “involvement in diversity courses…may be a curricular mechanism for students to develop the habits of mind of a critical thinker” (Laird,
strict restraint so that she would see as little, hear as little and ask as few que...
Bertrand Russell expressed his belief on knowing other minds, in an article based primarily around the notion of ‘analogy’, meaning similar to or likeness of. His belief is that, "We are convinced that other people have thoughts and feelings that are qualitatively fairly similar to our own. We are not content to think that we know only the space-time structure of our friends’ minds, or their capacity for initiating causal chains that end in sensations of our own" (Russell 89). Russell speaks of the inner awareness, such as being able to observe the occurrences of such things as remembering, feeling pleasure and feeling pain from within our own minds’. This would then allow us to presume that other beings that have these abilities would then be that of having minds.
and by always having a smile on her face. Uncle Axel, for his knowledge and educating him for
Through Rachel, who represents a naïve American who is insecure by making her own choices, Lawrence and Lee argue that Americans can be open to new perspectives and empower themselves with confidence. Rachel starts employing stress on herself when she is conflicted by Bert’s and her father’s thoughts on evolution before the trial. Furthermore, Rachel describes her conflicted way of thinking, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty” (1.1.34). Rachel is called “sleeping beauty” because she is told to think for herself. Unfortunately, she is torn by her clashing thoughts between Cates and her father. She has to decide whether to support Cates...
Next is Agreeableness, which is a trait that when expressed by someone, is shown as caring about others, being empathetic and generally enjoy helping other people. Someone who has a lot of this characteristic are the listeners in a group of people. They’re the ones who empathize with others. Many even become social workers (King). Others who have lower levels of agreeableness normally don’t have much interest in other people, are closed off, and have no interest in others issues.
become less of a woman and more cruel and hard like a man. She is
give her a command as she is used to getting told what to do. This
... By assuming he makes not only her feel uncomfortable but hows that he has problems with communicating in the correct manner.
example, she may not have to nag Tom to do his work so much and she
The ability to manage emotion and can let their feeling distinguish by reasoning, problem solving, decision-making and interpersonal skills (Mayer & Salovey, 1997).