What Pluralism Really Means

I am a longtime fan of NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman, and his latest article really hits it out of the proverbial park. In particular, Friedman's citing of MIT economist Otto Scharmer's notion about what pluralism means:

What is the opposite of an open mind? he asks. “You are stuck in one truth.” What is the opposite of an open heart? “You are stuck in one collective skin; everything is us-versus-them and, therefore, empathy for the other is impossible.” And what is the opposite of an open will? “You are enslaved to old intentions that originate in the past and not from the present, and so you cannot open up to any emerging new opportunities.”

Best working definition I have seen, and a great statement about what capabilities we need to be developing in our students.