But in the context of politics, relations between social groups, and science, it brings nothing but problems. Cognitive openness is the opposite of rigidity. It means being constantly open to new evidence. It means seeking out new evidence. It means actively looking for evidence that might contradict your hypothesis.
Successful science seeks the simplest explanation for things - consistent with the evidence.
Non sunt multiplicanda entia praeter necessitatem. This principle has been fruitful in the history of science. Eventually many dozens of these epicycles were needed to explain the facts. Copernicus assumed that the sun, and not the earth, was the centre of our planetary system. The rule of simplicity applies in religion too.