Ellis, in describing the nine personality traits that make up a healthy personality, defines flexibility as being able to remain “intellectually flexible.” He then goes on to say that this involves being open to change and incorporating an unbigoted view of the variations of people, ideas, and things in the world. I don’t think that the majority of people would consider being open to change, and having unbigoted views toward the varied difference in the world as negative, or undesirable qualities, and most people would agree that these are things that most people could use more of.
The one part of Ellis’s explanation here that may cause some confusion is the idea of intellectual flexibility. In order to understand what being intellectually flexible means, one must examine what it means to be intellectually stubborn, stagnate, or dogmatic. When we get invested in particular ideas, to a point where we lose the ability to consider other perspectives or examine our own ideas objectively, we become intellectually stagnant. This happens quite often actually, in politics in particular. In politics, often two sides of an argument become more deeply entrenched in their own position as a debate or discussion carries on. When one is intellectually dogmatic in a particular idea, they also become more susceptible to logical fallacies, which they fall victim to in order to prevent pressure on the ideas they have become so steadfast and fervent in protecting, as if any give in their resolve would ruin the sanctity of their core ideas. Such fallacies as ad hominem attacks, false dichotomies, and over generalizations help one avoid confronting their own intellectual stubbornness.
In this way, I feel that intellectual flexibility and acceptance of uncertainty are essentially tied at the hip. When one holds a particular position, but can honestly say that they may be wrong, and that sufficient evidence against their point could sway them, they are evincing an acceptance that they are not entirely certain of their claim, and the intellectual flexibility to change, adapt, and continue in light of new evidence. That is not to say that the best position to take on any subject is one of “I don’t know, whatever,” but there is a healthy level of doubt and flexibility that individuals can exhibit. This is actually the backbone of scientific inquiry: To be able to test a hypothesis, and respect the outcome, whether it proves you right, wrong, or suppresses you with an unexpected outcome.
These two traits, when combined, can cause what some may describe as a sincere modesty. Many consider modesty to be a good thing, but on the other side of the coin, there is also quite a bit of admiration displayed in some media for the stoic, unwavering idealist, passionate about his cause, never losing faith in his ideas, even against the strongest winds of change. Is one who fights against opposing views with such passion actually a good thing to look up to? Are there some good qualities in this kind of personality? Perhaps the reality lies in the balance. Being able to reasonably change, and flex one’s ideas in the face of new evidence, yet also being fervent enough to fight for them in the first place, may be a very difficult, but manageable.
This actually reminds me of chapter 76 of the Tao Te Ching, on flexibility. This passage reads:
A man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome.
Sometimes it amazes me how insightful things like this can be. Perhaps it is the cultural lens that I am viewing it through, but passages such as this, and some of the philosophies that accompany many marital arts, promote a great deal of practices, ideas, and mindsets, that are adaptive and healthy. A quick internet search shows that many people agree. There a plethora of sites that connects the practice of martial arts with emotional and mental well being. Perhaps that is a discussion for another time.
Wow, I strayed a bit that time. Oh well, it was fun. Please come back bi-weekly for more. Next time I will began discussing the “big five” factor model, and after that Ellis’s number 6 personality trait for healthy personalities: scientific thinking.
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