Key Takeaway:
- Openness to experience indicates, how open-minded a person is
- High openness to experience is characterised by: Questioning authorities, follow new ethical and social ideas as well as being curious about inner and outer circumstances
- Low openness to experience is characterised by: Being conventional in behavior, having a rather conservative outlook, as well as preferring the familiar over the new
Introduction:
Openness to experience is a concept that most people can relate to. It describes how open a person is to new experiences. However, I find it difficult to classify myself in concrete terms, i.e. am I more on the side of "high openness to experience" or "low openness to experience"?
Enclosed we look at both extremes, give concrete examples of what they mean, and explain the impact on personal life.
High Openness to Experience:
People who have a high openness to experience are characterized by the fact that they question authorities, follow new ethical and social ideas, are curious about inner and outer circumstances, and thus enrich life through new experiences. This personality trait also influences the individual life. Scientific work has shown that a high openness to experience is positively related to creativity, work performance, and professional success.
Low Openness to Experience:
People who have a low openness to experience are characterized by the fact that they are conventional in behavior, rather conservative in outlook, prefer the familiar over the new, and have rather muted emotional responses. As above, low openness to experience also has an impact on personal life. Scientific work has shown that a high openness to experience is negatively related to creativity, work performance, and professional success.
Take Action:
I think it is possible to go from one extreme to another if you put the work in. Enclosed you will find my ideas on how to become high in openness to experience:
- Try to do small things differently every day compared to the day before. They don't have to be big, e.g. take a different route to work
- Look for people who will take you out of your comfort zone
