Board members often deal with differing opinions and one of the key characteristics of a good board member is the ability to maintain an open mind. We all know people who cannot change their beliefs to adapt to new information. This is called cognitive dissonance and it is the inability to hold two conflicting opinions in your head. So if you have been taught that there is no such thing as climate change and you see some evidence that suggests that climate change exists, you have to choose between believing the new information and invalidating a belief that you have had for a long time. What will happen if you do not have an open mind is that you will consider the new information to be “fake news” and you will continue to hold your cherished beliefs. This phenomena is a problem when we are trying to reach a consensus, as is being clearly demonstrated in the United States.
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