On Open Mindedness

I mentioned this quote from Nietzsche's "Twilight of the Idols" to someone the other day:

"A causal explanation is thus contingent on (and aroused by) a feeling of fear. The "why?" shall, if at all possible, result not in identifying the cause for its own sake, but in identifying a cause that is comforting, liberating, and relieving."

 My friend quipped dismissively "I heard Nietzsche was a winy atheist  weirdo!"  My reply went something like this....

     You are right.  Nietzsche would have pissed me off dreadfully if I had to deal with him on a daily basis.  But does that diminish the quote?  99% of what all philosophers say turns out to be wrong but when we read them we are not looking for a universal system of truth, we are getting to know this person.  Much like dealing with a friend or coworker, there will be facets of their personality that rub us the wrong way. But if we dismiss anyone at the first sign of discord, we will find ourselves friendless and miss out on all the good things that come from having an open mind.
     When I quote a particular author, I am telling you more about myself than about the original author.  The quote by Nietzsche tells you almost nothing about Nietzsche, but tells you a lot about my thoughts on psychology.  The fact that I quoted Nietzsche does not make me a "winy atheist weirdo." Reading the Communist Manifesto doesn't make me a Communist any more than reading Adam Smith makes me a capitalist.  Reading the Koran doesn't make me a Muslim any more than reading the Bible makes me a Christian.  But by reading these things, I am getting to know the authors, the ideas they represent, and the historical context in which those ideas evolved.  Understanding these diverse cultural backgrounds doesn't make me a part of them, but it does help me to understand the evolution of my own place in the world, not to mention the fact that it makes me more able to have a meaningful conversation with someone whose ideas differ from mine.
     When someone throws a passage from the Bible at you, are they letting you in on the mind of God?  Certainly not!  They are informing you about their mind.  The person who points to "thall shalt not" and the "such-and-such is an apostasy" is only pointing out their own fears.  The person who is constantly mentioning the "meek and humble" apparently feels unappreciated.  The quoter of Machiavelli or Nietzsche may very well be struggling to self-actualize.  (hmmmm...)
     It's funny that the original quote by Nietzsche that started this topic applies quite nicely.  The passages that we latch onto are chosen not because they are universal truths which have been revealed to us, but because they are "comforting, liberating, and relieving."