An Open Mind is Like an Open Mouth

“The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”
G. K. Chesterton

I hear people speak of having an open mind like it is inherently virtuous to have it perpetually open. But what is the point of an open mind if it never closes on truth? Chesterton said that an open mind was like an open mouth, and I tend to agree. No one would think of boasting that they had a perpetually open mouth, but the results are similar with both the open mind and the open mouth.

If someone always had their mouth open, you’d find it odd if they never actually bit down and ate once they encountered real food. Sure, they’d get a taste of a lot of things, but eventually they have to say, “This is food that I will now eat.” Without shutting the mouth on something solid, this person will grow weak, malnourished, and will eventually die. Also, if the mouth stays open, then what will that person do when they encounter something harmful? As a protection the mouth blocks dangerous objects and poisons from getting into the body. So a mouth that is always open is unwise and even dangerous. So too with the open mind.

If the mind is perpetually open, and it never closes, then the mind grows weak and malnourished. The mind is meant to take in information and then bite down on that which is really true. The mind grows and expands and gets strong when we feed it with good, true, and righteous information. Also, the always open mind is an unguarded mind. An unguarded mind that takes in everything without caution is bound to take in something poisonous. And when the mind is untrained and unguarded, then the poison seeps in to the detriment of the whole body.

So what should we do? We need a mind that is willing to open to true things, but that is always closing on something solid. We need to have a trained and guarded mind that knows the truth of God’s word that allows us to discern what is good and pleasing to God. Now, when the untrue or poisonous things come, we can spit them out and close our minds. The world might call us “close-minded,” but the result will be a strong and capable mind that is able to withstand the weak blows of a culture that can’t tell right from wrong.

Christians are a people of the truth, always willing to open our minds to the truth. And as people of the truth, we are bound to be close-minded to lies. I refuse to celebrate the perpetually open mind, and I pray that we would be those who set our minds on God’s truth and close our minds on something solid.

Jacob Crouch 2024