This morning my partner and I discussed a problem area of the world and as we went back and forth and differed in many ways we came to a point of saying -- is this issue a matter of black and white OR are their gray areas to consider and perhaps find common ground? I think we recognized there is common ground to find and ways forward on the issue being discussed as well as other issues. At least I hope so.
Additionally I remembered something about my views. I remembered my belief that there is at least two sides to any question and in reality, in my opinion, there is often many, many sides to most issues. Perhaps an infinite numbers of points of view. I do think the simplicity of there being two sides to any issue is important as it is easier, perhaps, to find some middle ground. On the other hand the belief there are ONLY two sides to an issue and the reality of many, many more may be why common ground is diffictult to find!
For example, if I vote for some candidate in some election based on some single issue of importance to me while ignoring or even actively dismissing other interests and things that are important what results? I am not sure what results however I think they problem in our times is based on single-issue voting/politics and people locking themselves into silos that are limited, suffocating, and alienating (for both themselves and to others).
An old answer to this silo-locking phenomenon usually bring up ideas such as tolerance and acceptance. Those two concepts are very different yet they may be considered the same when a person finds it difficult to do either. These two concepts also are outcomes/goals.
Another answer is empathy. The idea of empathy is to understand the feelings and thinking of the "other" and also be aware of your own thinking and feeling so you might relate on emotional and intellectual levels and find consensus in process. Process is ongoing and inconclusive.
Comfort is important to many of us and I suggest outcomes/achieved goals are more comfortable then a constant process of caring and empathy. This is understandable yet it THE PROBLEM. It is The Problem because all things change all the time. There is growth and decay and chaos and order and movement and stillness, etc, etc.. Consider your birth and death and all of life in between. Change is THE MOST CONSTANT THING.... So outcomes, conclusions, achieved goals ARE important and FLEETING. THE way to deal with change is to notice changes and consider change.
CHANGE.... It is what is in your (wallet) being!
Title for this could be/have been... or What's wrong with me? or or Gray matters while infinity seems to exist. or or Infinity and the individual... or etc. etc.. etc...
My personal "problem" is in not coming to final conclusions. I feel like apologizing for being inconclusive yet I can't help myself. I have seen a lot of absolutes missed. A primary absolute I generally assert is... No More War... and so as I joined in the Anti-Vietnam War movement I realized it was not a "pure" anti-WAR movement but something smaller and achievable. Also, defensive wars/killing are acceptable to me as I think about World War Two and other wars. The American Revolution is another "good" war, maybe! The Civil War can probably be questioned as can many other wars. For me -- problems. For me I can look back and wonder if some other ways and means might have produced acceptable results for all.
People with optimism look to the future and see things improving in most ways for most people. The arc of history is upward meaning towards the good. Some people, as I have in this writing, think most highly of PROCESS and others with good intent and intelligence remind us to remember the GOALS, too.
THE final answer is to respect and believe in the process as we move towards goals beneficial to all. This is something I learned while training for community mediation. Mediation! YES.
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