6 TYPES OF INDIVIDUALS TO STAY CLOSE TO: Steve Obiakor

It is important to note that there are some individuals who are probably the driving force you need to achieve your goals in life. In one way or the other, we all are human resources managers because we are social beings and as such, our behaviours are influenced rightly or wrongly by those around us. We also in turn influence the behaviours of some other people. In some other situations, we are saddled with the responsibility of bringing out the best in others. This article sets out to discuss six types of individuals you need to stay close to.

2. The Open-minded: The open minded individual does not restrict himself to the things he knows or believes. An open minded individual is willing to consider other beliefs, ideas and intellectual oppositions. The views and knowledge of others help us to enrich our own views and knowledge. Through open mindedness, we give a fair and impartial attention to the views of others and in the process, respect such views. According to Wayne Riggs, ‘open-mindedness springs from an awareness of the inherent fallibility of one’s beliefs; hence, open-minded individuals are more inclined to listen to, and seriously consider, alternative viewpoints’. Nobody has the monopoly of knowledge or ideas and there is no way to prove that personal views and opinions one has expressed is superior to that of others. However, it is important to differentiate between being open minded and being gullible. A gullible person changes his view to avoid pain or to gain pleasure. An open minded person does not give in to pressure; he/she gives in to a new information which he/she will then verify in due course. An open minded person would say things like ‘oh, I’ve never heard of that; I’ll find out,’ instead of saying, ‘it’s not true.’ ’But a gullible fellow would say, ‘it’s true’ even when he/she knows next to nothing about the subject matter.  An open minded person listens to you and does not fake it.

These individuals exist in your friends, colleagues, families and obviously your spouse. One most interesting thing is that most of these qualities are inseparable. A perfect human does not exist but there are acceptable standards of behaviour that endows one to the rest of his contemporaries especially those one has to deal with in one’s daily life.  For those who are direct opposite of these qualities, make effort to change them if you are opportune to; if not, stay away from them.