--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fundamentalism is a kind of decision not…" description: "\"Fundamentalism is a kind of decision not to change your mind about something...Many of us are fundamentalists...because it worked pretty well for us.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/howard-gardner-3816_changing-your-mind_fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not_3199661.jpg" --- # Fundamentalism is a kind of decision not to change your… ![“Fundamentalism is a kind of decision not to change your mind about something...Many of us are fundamentalists...because it worked pretty well for us.” quote by Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/howard-gardner-3816_changing-your-mind_fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not_3199661.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/howard-gardner-3816_changing-your-mind_fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not_3199661.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/howard-gardner-3816_changing-your-mind_fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not_3199661.jpg) > “Fundamentalism is a kind of decision not to change your mind about something...Many of us are fundamentalists...because it worked pretty well for us.” [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fundamentalism is described as a deliberate choice to hold onto a belief despite evidence, often because it has been personally beneficial. **In simple terms:** Holding onto beliefs can be a conscious, self‑serving decision. Key Takeaway Recognize when comfort, rigidity.. Themes belief psychology identity comfort rigidity decision‑making Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - political discourse - education - career choices - faith communities Key Concepts Cognitive bias self‑justification social identity Questions to Reflect On - Are your beliefs serving you or limiting you? - How do you balance comfort with openness? A Different Perspective It may ignore new information and hinder growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Changing your mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-your-mind/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Fundamentalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalism/) [Fundamentalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalists/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [Some people seem to gravitate from one fundamentalism to another, from some kind of secular fundamentalism into a religious fundamentalism or the other way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-l-berger/some-people-seem-to-gravitate-from-one-fundamentalism-to-another-from/) [Peter L. Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-l-berger/) > [What are you thinking about? What you focus on right now will tend to come into your life a little later. Here's your reminder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-vitale/what-are-you-thinking-about-what-you-focus-on-right-now-will-tend-to/) [Joe Vitale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-vitale/) > [You don't need to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-course-or-buy-a-product-all-you-have-to-do/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [Change your mind and it will change your life. If nothing around you changes, changes the things that are around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrese-gibson/change-your-mind-and-it-will-change-your-life-if-nothing-around-you/) [Tyrese Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrese-gibson/) > [Everyone wants to make good decisions. But how do you know when you are being guided by the Eck (Holy Spirit) or the mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-klemp/everyone-wants-to-make-good-decisions-but-how-do-you-know-when-you/) [Harold Klemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-klemp/) > [You change your mind Like a girl changes clothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/you-change-your-mind-like-a-girl-changes-clothes/) [Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/) > [Seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world. What you see reflects your thinking. And your thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seek-not-to-change-the-world-but-choose-to-change-your-mind-about-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Becoming a vampire is forever. You don't get to change your mind about it later. For me, I think that's one of the big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/becoming-a-vampire-is-forever-you-don-t-get-to-change-your-mind-about/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [When the facts change, you change your mind. I know that is a hard concept for people to get sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/when-the-facts-change-you-change-your-mind-i-know-that-is-a-hard/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [Books ARE a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/books-are-a-form-of-political-action-books-are-knowledge-books-are/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Don't worry about being worried. You're heading out on an adventure and you can always change your mind along the way and try something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-kidder/don-t-worry-about-being-worried-you-re-heading-out-on-an-adventure/) [Tracy Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-kidder/) > [Occasions when you can change your mind should be cherished, because they mean you're smarter than you were before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/occasions-when-you-can-change-your-mind-should-be-cherished-because/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [Disappointment is temporary. Only your thought about it is permanent. Change your mind about what has disappointed you and you will change your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/disappointment-is-temporary-only-your-thought-about-it-is-permanent/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Well, cooking starts with shopping. If the ingredients are not good, you don't do it. Just change your mind and do something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ripert/well-cooking-starts-with-shopping-if-the-ingredients-are-not-good-you/) [Eric Ripert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ripert/) > [I care so deeply about this matter that I'm willing to take on the legal penalties, to sit in this prison cell, to sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-care-so-deeply-about-this-matter-that-i-m-willing-to-take-on-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) ## More by Howard Gardner > [Contradictory precepts that have guided me for as long as I can remember: 1: I will live forever. 2: I will die tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/contradictory-precepts-that-have-guided-me-for-as-long-as-i-can/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [I believe that the brain has evolved over millions of years to be responsive to different kinds of content in the world. Language content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/i-believe-that-the-brain-has-evolved-over-millions-of-years-to-be/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [Emile Zola was a poor student at his school at Aix. We are all so different largely because we all have different combinations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/emile-zola-was-a-poor-student-at-his-school-at-aix-we-are-all-so/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [We've got to do fewer things in school. The greatest enemy of understanding is coverage... You've got to take enough time to get kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/we-ve-got-to-do-fewer-things-in-school-the-greatest-enemy-of/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [Students should learn about the long-standing values of truth, beauty, and goodness, think hard about them, and interrogate them skillfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/students-should-learn-about-the-long-standing-values-of-truth-beauty/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [The problems in our educational system are indissociable from broader malignant trends in our society, and they can't be solved by lots of testing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/the-problems-in-our-educational-system-are-indissociable-from-broader/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [Intelligence is the ability to find and solve problems and create products of value in one's own culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/intelligence-is-the-ability-to-find-and-solve-problems-and-create/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [To ask "Where in your brain is intelligence?" is like asking "Where is the voice in the radio?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/to-ask-where-in-your-brain-is-intelligence-is-like-asking-where-is/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [“Stories are the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/stories-are-the-single-most-powerful-weapon-in-a-leader-s-arsenal/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [The biggest communities in which young people now reside are online communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/the-biggest-communities-in-which-young-people-now-reside-are-online/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [If I know you're very good in music, I can predict with just about zero accuracy whether you're going to be good or bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/if-i-know-you-re-very-good-in-music-i-can-predict-with-just-about/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [Perhaps, indeed, there are no truly universal ethics: or to put it more precisely, the ways in which ethical principles are interpreted will inevitably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/perhaps-indeed-there-are-no-truly-universal-ethics-or-to-put-it-more/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [I favor a system where students in publicly funded institutions make a commitment: if they do well in the private sector, they will revert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/i-favor-a-system-where-students-in-publicly-funded-institutions-make/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [An individual understands a concept, skill, theory, or domain of knowledge to the extent that he or she can apply it appropriately in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/an-individual-understands-a-concept-skill-theory-or-domain-of/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [If we want to have good workers and good citizens, we need to create common spaces in which individuals can talk about the moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/if-we-want-to-have-good-workers-and-good-citizens-we-need-to-create/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) [Explore all 120 Howard Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) ## More Changing your mind quotes > [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [“Maybe that is what growing up was all about. It was about changing your mind. Opening it right up. Admitting to yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/maybe-that-is-what-growing-up-was-all-about-it-was-about-changing/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [I care so deeply about this matter that I'm willing to take on the legal penalties, to sit in this prison cell, to sacrifice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-care-so-deeply-about-this-matter-that-i-m-willing-to-take-on-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Well, cooking starts with shopping. If the ingredients are not good, you don't do it. Just change your mind and do something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ripert/well-cooking-starts-with-shopping-if-the-ingredients-are-not-good-you/) [Eric Ripert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ripert/) > [Disappointment is temporary. Only your thought about it is permanent. Change your mind about what has disappointed you and you will change your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/disappointment-is-temporary-only-your-thought-about-it-is-permanent/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [“Nice shack," I tell him. "Trade you." "Any day." "Really? You like it?" He seems genuinely pleased. "What's not to like?" He stands back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/nice-shack-i-tell-him-trade-you-any-day-really-you-like-it-he-seems/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [Occasions when you can change your mind should be cherished, because they mean you're smarter than you were before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/occasions-when-you-can-change-your-mind-should-be-cherished-because/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [Don't worry about being worried. You're heading out on an adventure and you can always change your mind along the way and try something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-kidder/don-t-worry-about-being-worried-you-re-heading-out-on-an-adventure/) [Tracy Kidder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-kidder/) > [Practice changing your mind. Without the ability to do so, we are ill-equipped to deal with changing circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/practice-changing-your-mind-without-the-ability-to-do-so-we-are-ill/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Books ARE a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/books-are-a-form-of-political-action-books-are-knowledge-books-are/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [When the facts change, you change your mind. I know that is a hard concept for people to get sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carville/when-the-facts-change-you-change-your-mind-i-know-that-is-a-hard/) [James Carville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carville/) > [Becoming a vampire is forever. You don't get to change your mind about it later. For me, I think that's one of the big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/becoming-a-vampire-is-forever-you-don-t-get-to-change-your-mind-about/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [Seek not to change the world, but choose to change your mind about the world. What you see reflects your thinking. And your thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seek-not-to-change-the-world-but-choose-to-change-your-mind-about-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't think I can deal with you just constantly changing your mind about me, about this, about us, about everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-think-i-can-deal-with-you-just-constantly-changing-your-mind/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[On parenthood:\] You can't change your mind--you know, and say, this isn't working out, let's sell. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/on-parenthood-you-can-t-change-your-mind-you-know-and-say-this-isn-t/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) [Browse all 179 Changing your mind quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-your-mind/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Fundamentalism is a kind of decision not to change your mind about something...Many of us are fundamentalists...because it worked pretty well for us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Howard Gardner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not-to-change-your-mind-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Changing your mind" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not-to-change-your-mind-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/howard-gardner-3816_changing-your-mind_fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not_3199661.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/howard-gardner-3816_changing-your-mind_fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not_3199661.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/howard-gardner-3816_changing-your-mind_fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not_3199661.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Fundamentalism is a kind of decision not to change your mind about something...Many of us are…” — Howard Gardner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Howard Gardner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Fundamentalism is a kind of decision...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not-to-change-your-mind-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/fundamentalism-is-a-kind-of-decision-not-to-change-your-mind-about/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```