How do you stop being simple minded?

[Anonymous]

A lot of the time I feel like my mind is blank even when I am doing things and half the time I just accept things I'm told even if the explanation isn't very good. So I'm just wondering how you would start becoming more complex.
Please don't say just that you want to be simple minded because that's not what I'm asking.

[Bvroon]

Like many things this is a process, and you should be prepared to work at it, however I should note that the not only will the benefits become self evident as you progress, know that once you go down this road you can't go back. The process I'm referring to is not unlike the scientific process. I suggest this because the premise of the scientific process is to ask questions, and once the question has been asked, you need to find the answers to those questions, the answers will often lead you to other questions, which you in turn will find the answers to. In this way you can develop both your inquisitive mind as well as your powers of observation and deduction. There is depth in most everything, the question is really how far you are willing to dig.

[SammiKitten]

This is a good answer. Much better than how I described it! :)

[DoriantheArtisan]

read books and have discussions.

[SammiKitten]

Perhaps you can practice inquisitiveness? If somebody tells you something, you could google something about it? Read a little bit, and come to your opinion on whether you believe that is the reality or not? :)

[SammiKitten]

To follow this up. You have to take a genuine interest in something, and want to understand something. If the interest isn't there, then you might well just take somebody's explanation as de facto. An example; when I take my car into the shop, the guy could literately tell me that the reason my brakes feel a bit soft is because of aliens have invaded them, and I'll probably just say "Cool! Can you get them out for me please?"

[ManThatKnewTooMuch]

You just have to start analyzing things more. Ask yourself questions like:

1) who gains from this?
2) why is he telling me this? Could it be a lie?
3) Nobody is truly an expert on anything, people are wrong all the time, why can this guy be wrong?

But truthfully it's kind of a bitch to be analytic all the time. I tend to take peoples word at face value too. The only time I start thinking in depth is if I have something to lose...