Mind Sizing

"The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye; the more light your pour upon it, the more it will contract."  So said Oliver W. Holmes, Jr.  I think he is talking about one kind of "mind sizing",

I think there is a dilemma here.  Let's say it is my mind we are talking about.  Too much new information, too much light, too much doubt, too much newness and my mind shrinks until I defend what I think I already know with a passion that could lead to violence.  And I do not perceive myself as a bigot.  I actively work to seek more light, more knowledge, more data and more options.

What about the person who actively seeks to keep everything the same, to look backward at only the information he/she was taught to believe?  How much "new" is too much?  Probably almost anything "new" in the way of changed perceptions will cause the mind to shrink to a pin point (or smaller).  Can such a person every grow, expand, embrace new possibilities?

Some would say, "No."  Others would say, "Yes, but not many and not quickly."  What do you think?  Leave your comment for the rest of us to ponder.