How Dogmatic Are You?

Everyone has one or two “pet” ideas—those notions that seem so obvious that it’s almost incomprehensible that others would question them. However, when a person carries this attitude to an extreme, he or she runs the risk of becoming dogmatic.

Highly dogmatic people push away any and all information that doesn’t conform to their acceptable patterns of thought. They don’t want to hear what others say if it challenges their beliefs.

Low dogmatics can absorb information as it comes to them, then make informed decisions to either hold on to or change their beliefs.

Which are you? To test your level of dogmatism, answer each of the following questions with “often,” “sometimes,” or “rarely.”

An “often” answer to questions 1, 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10 means you are high on the dogma scale. This can be a significant factor in your ability—or lack thereof—to communicate with others. If you answered “often” to questions 3, 4, 5 and 8 you’re more a low dogma type and are probably easier to work with.

The point of this exercise isn’t to change your ranking from high to low. It’s a reminder to listen to others’ ideas while at the same time being true to your own beliefs.