Suggestibility and Openness
January 21, 2013
There are many ways to live in the world, far more than any of us can imagine. And there are many people who continually suggest to us how to live, what to believe, what to think, what to feel, what to say, who to vote for, who to love–the list is endless. It can be revealing in the midst of all these suggestions, some of them very enticing, to look and listen inwardly and observe just how suggestible we are, and to realize that suggestibility is dramatically different from openness.
First published on my Facebook Fan Page
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Harmonious Awakening 
I am not quite sure if I am understanding exactly what you are trying to convey here. The difference between suggestibility and openness? Or maybe that we need to possess both of those traits? Not being open-minded would keep us from ever even wanting to hear any suggestions from another party and therefore we would forever only see things from our own point of view which not only makes us stubborn and then we have to “own” arrogance as well.
For it takes an arrogant fool to not be willing to at least hear out the opposition and being open to what they have to say. Many times it is right there in the middle that we find the answer to many a problem. I guess what I am trying to say is that we have to be somewhat vulnerable to suggestibility and only then can we claim openness<——which to me merely translates into the willingness to see things from many different perspectives. It is only after having done that we can justify our own opinion within ourselves. For lack of being able to use a different explanation I would refer to it as a negotiation or debate within ourselves [and that to me would translate into "openness"
respectfully,
Iraine
Iraine, the usual definition of “suggestibility” is “easily or readily influenced by suggestion.” The key word here is “influenced.” This is dramatically different from listening and being open to other perspectives. Listening and openness do not depend on suggestibility in the slightest. Adults who are suggestible, in fact, seldom actually listen to and rationally consider other perspectives. They are quickly and easily swayed, especially if what is being suggested to them at the time agrees with what they already believe.
thank you Dennis. Explaining what the keyword herein was, made it make sense to me immediately. English is NOT my native language and even though I believe I have a very good grasp on it, there are times like this where I was not quite sure where you were going with it , so your explanation has definitely been helpful
.
Iraine
Dear Mr. Denis Lewis,
You’re awesome. Thanks for the positive virtual vibes.