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完美撰題八大原則四：保持心胸開放
【學術專欄】
在學術寫作中，「完美」是相對的，但也是我們追求的理想。想寫出完美的研究報告，首先選擇題目必須明智。本次學術專欄特別推出「完美撰題八大原則」，為大家介紹選擇題目的原則，每項原則將定期刊登於TPS專頁。
“Perfect” is a relative term in academic writing, but it always is the ideal. The first rule in the pursuit of perfection in a paper is to choose a topic wisely. This essay introduces and explains one guide in selecting a topic. Each guide is contained in “8 Guides in Choosing a Perfect Research Paper Topic” and will be posted on the TPS Fan page as introduced.
#4 – Keep an open mind
原則四 保持心胸開放
This suggestion really shouldn’t be necessary. An open mind should be a chief characteristic of any writer laboring in the academic field. The whole purpose of academia is to learn and, in the learning, to expand the body of knowledge that undergirds understanding and progress. Learning is stifled by barriers to learning; the most insidious of these is the closed mind. So in searching for a research topic, an academic writer should be open to virtually all possibilities.
心胸開放是學術領域作者應有的基本特質，本來不必特別提出。學術研究就是為了學習，並在學習過程中擴展整體學識、增進理解與推動進步。阻礙學習的因素很多，其中最隱而不顯的障礙就是保守封閉的思想。所以學術作者尋找研究主題時，應該對所有可能保持開放。
One of the indicators of openness is the capacity for surprise. When a mind is partly or entirely shuttered, it is less receptive to peripheral flashes of insight. It is so focused on a preconceived agenda that it simply doesn’t sense glancing inspiration. A writer open to inspiration is more apt to be startled by a new thought, which might enter his mind through an unrelated conversation. Such revelations are the direct result of a person’s willingness to be surprised.
開放的思想有項指標，就是能體悟到出人意表之處。如果思想保守或完全封閉，即使隱約有所體悟，也很難好好把握。太執著於預定的步驟，腦海裡就沒有空間容納轉瞬即逝的靈光。寫作時若能敞開心胸、擁抱靈感，就更容易受新思想啟發，從無關的對話中採擷新的看法。願意接納新奇的想法，就能直接受益。
The rest of the story is how a surprising idea is handled. A closed-minded person dismisses such an idea because it disrupts his ordered mindset. An open-minded person muses upon it. Explores it. Evaluates it. Weighs it. Only then might the person drop the idea because it is found to be wanting or, better yet, to abandon it in favor of yet another idea spawned by the first one. The beauty of openness is that it is expansive in nature. Growth and learning are the natural results.
除了察覺新奇的想法，還要知道如何運用。心態保守的人對新的想法不屑一顧，害怕這種想法會擾亂他們規規矩矩的思考方式。心態開明的人則會潛心鑽研，探索、評估、權衡新的想法，判斷這個想法是否有所不足，再將之放下；或是從中衍生另一個新的思想，所以拋棄原先的想法，這種情況更理想。開放的心態本身廣闊無垠，自然有助學習與成長。
“Perfect” is a relative term in academic writing, but it always is the ideal. The first rule in the pursuit of perfection in a paper is to choose a topic wisely. This essay introduces and explains one guide in selecting a topic. Each guide is contained in “8 Guides in Choosing a Perfect Research Paper Topic” and will be posted on the TPS Fan page as introduced.
#4 – Keep an open mind
原則四 保持心胸開放
This suggestion really shouldn’t be necessary. An open mind should be a chief characteristic of any writer laboring in the academic field. The whole purpose of academia is to learn and, in the learning, to expand the body of knowledge that undergirds understanding and progress. Learning is stifled by barriers to learning; the most insidious of these is the closed mind. So in searching for a research topic, an academic writer should be open to virtually all possibilities.
心胸開放是學術領域作者應有的基本特質，本來不必特別提出。學術研究就是為了學習，並在學習過程中擴展整體學識、增進理解與推動進步。阻礙學習的因素很多，其中最隱而不顯的障礙就是保守封閉的思想。所以學術作者尋找研究主題時，應該對所有可能保持開放。
One of the indicators of openness is the capacity for surprise. When a mind is partly or entirely shuttered, it is less receptive to peripheral flashes of insight. It is so focused on a preconceived agenda that it simply doesn’t sense glancing inspiration. A writer open to inspiration is more apt to be startled by a new thought, which might enter his mind through an unrelated conversation. Such revelations are the direct result of a person’s willingness to be surprised.
開放的思想有項指標，就是能體悟到出人意表之處。如果思想保守或完全封閉，即使隱約有所體悟，也很難好好把握。太執著於預定的步驟，腦海裡就沒有空間容納轉瞬即逝的靈光。寫作時若能敞開心胸、擁抱靈感，就更容易受新思想啟發，從無關的對話中採擷新的看法。願意接納新奇的想法，就能直接受益。
The rest of the story is how a surprising idea is handled. A closed-minded person dismisses such an idea because it disrupts his ordered mindset. An open-minded person muses upon it. Explores it. Evaluates it. Weighs it. Only then might the person drop the idea because it is found to be wanting or, better yet, to abandon it in favor of yet another idea spawned by the first one. The beauty of openness is that it is expansive in nature. Growth and learning are the natural results.
除了察覺新奇的想法，還要知道如何運用。心態保守的人對新的想法不屑一顧，害怕這種想法會擾亂他們規規矩矩的思考方式。心態開明的人則會潛心鑽研，探索、評估、權衡新的想法，判斷這個想法是否有所不足，再將之放下；或是從中衍生另一個新的思想，所以拋棄原先的想法，這種情況更理想。開放的心態本身廣闊無垠，自然有助學習與成長。