Actively resist the urge for certainty and cultivate a deep openness, recognizing that certainty can be an “existential threat to the species” in a world of constant change and division.
Cultivate a balance between skepticism (questioning) and credulity (a willingness to believe) as positive traits, rather than relying solely on skepticism, to navigate the world more flexibly.
Develop a mind that is both open enough to engage with diverse perspectives and supple enough to know when to adapt your views and when to hold firm.
Actively cultivate your mind as a “relentless reconsideration machine,” constantly analyzing and re-evaluating your views, which requires sustained awareness and avoiding attachment to views.
Develop the ability to discern when a belief is useful and beneficial (even if unproven) versus when it might be damaging, and adjust your acceptance or rejection of it accordingly.
Approach disagreements (politics, vaccines, religion, geopolitics) with empathy and a willingness to understand, or at least attempt to understand, others’ perspectives, rather than shouting or being closed-minded.
Cultivate openness and fluidity in your mindset, as being too rigid or certain can be alienating and hinder personal growth, and allow for the possibility of phenomena science hasn’t explained.
Even if you don’t agree with others’ beliefs, practice openness to the possibility that they might be right, using it as a lesson to reduce your own closed-mindedness, rigidity, addiction to certainty, and reflexive judgmentalism.
Strive for simplicity in your approach to life, but avoid being naive or foolish; maintain boundaries and discernment even while being open.
Consider the potential harm or benefit of a belief; if a belief is not harmful and provides positive motivation or comfort, it might be embraced even if its veracity is uncertain.
When encountering beliefs that seem questionable or “woo-woo,” you can “put them in a box off to the side” and continue with practices you find beneficial, rather than letting them derail your path.
Explore Buddhist philosophy and practice (like meditation and ethical practices) as a secular person, without needing to surrender to faith, and check teachings for yourself rather than taking them on face value.
Continuously search for answers and understanding, even when discussing topics that might be considered “woo-woo,” by researching and diving into theories.
When facing death or significant transitions, try to relax your mind into the transparent, unchanging feeling of your core self, as a way to navigate the process.