Be less open-minded: Against uncalibrated open-mindedness

According to a new LessWrong essay by Nathan Young, the advice to 'be more open-minded' is often misguided. Young argues that genuine open-mindedness requires significant energy—and with hundreds of daily ideas competing for his attention across social media and intellectual circles, he's already at capacity. His alternative: be strategically closed-minded. Prioritize ideas from people with proven track records. Filter out low-quality inputs. Since most ideas are bad anyway, you don't have an obligation to engage with every challenger. The real skill isn't unlimited openness. It's calibrated judgment about which ideas deserve your finite mental resources.

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