How to Exercise An Open Mind

(image from Practice Based Evidence.)

Found this really helpful article:
Simply put, all one needs to grow his/her brain is to do unique, random, different, and ridiculous things as often as possible. One hour of increased brain activity via thinking a lot or experiencing new stimuli can make you smarter, more energetic, more creative, and more sociable. Here are some of activities they listed that can stimulate your brain:
1. Stimulate your ears differently. Try different music you haven't tried before: Classical, New Age, Zouk, Rap, Mariachi, Country. You don't have to like it at first, but if you keep an open mind, you can still find it interesting. Listen to a radio station you typically don't listen to.
2. Stimulate your eyes in new ways. Look at different art sites. Go to a cheap or free art gallery. Even if it's bad art, it can still be stimulating and thought-provoking.
3. Learn about different people and lifestyles. A great gateway into this is Wikipedia, where you can read articles on a wide variety of practices, such as Swinging, Wicca, the Green Party, Sunnis, Tutsis, and the Yakuza. Remember that these cultures of lifestyles may look absolutely ridiculous on the surface, but consider how many members they have worldwide.
4. Take unusual classes. Find a community college near you, pick up a catalog, and open your mind to learning things like Art History, Underwater Basketweaving, First Aid training, or Business Ethics. How about courses on Vampires and Werewolves, Meteorology, Nutrition, Japanese Pop Culture, etc.?
5. Open your mind to other political points of view. If you are a conservative,listen to Air American, read Alternet and watch some films of Michael Moore. If you are a liberal, listen to Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly, read the Washington Times or the InstaPundit, and watch Fox News. You may find it hard to stomach at first, but in time you might find a grain of truth in what your nemesis has to say. Even if you don't, you'll be able to argue with one of "them" much more intelligently.