Color Theory, or Philosophical Analogy?
We live in a cynical world -- a cynical, cynical world. HA! The writers of "Jerry Maguire" may have been onto something. But I would've said that we live in an accepting world -- an "anything goes" world.
It seems that according to society today, people should be accepting of every "lifestyle." I put that word in quotation marks because I think it's just a fluff term that people use to mean "life choices" or "behavior." By calling our choices "lifestyles," I think we take a lot of personal responsibility away from ourselves. And style implies a subjectivity, a relativism. People's lifestyles are subjective now. There are practically no rules. Sure, we probably all agree that there should be rules and regulations on the pharmaceutical industry, education, government officials, and the judicial system. Those are musts in a functional society.
But when it comes to moral standards and ethical rules -- stop the presses! That's just not an area where rules are a part. Once someone starts delineating what kinds of lifestyles are acceptable or not, they're labeled as intolerant, close-minded, conservative fanatics suffering from social myopia. I can somewhat see the correlation, here. I understand that this is a sensitive area -- people fall into gray categories sometimes, whether they want to or not. But the problem I have with the world today, is that everyone is expected to accept the gray. Extremes are to be shunned. Definite social rules and boundaries are politically incorrect.
And to this I say: What makes gray? It's impossible to have gray without the definitive colors black and white. Without black and white, there would be no option for a gray, no room for other choices, or "lifestyles." It's existence of extremes that give us the ability to choose.
So I appeal to any reader who may actually understand what I think I might be unsuccessfully explaining: Don't let the gray world be intolerant of the black and white. It's very existence depends on those two.
Thing I'm thankful for: rain.
posted by Sara @ 12:15 AM
3 Comments:
I think the older I get the more gray I become (not in the way of hair, that's impossible for me). I think for most people it is the opposite, the older you get the more black and white.
See, now this is what makes us different. You can write your argument in five short paragraphs - covering all of your bases. It would take me five pages to express the very same opinion.
Yeah, I agree with you. I wish that all people could even attempt to understand and appreciate the other viewpoint.
But I don't think it's always a matter of the gray being "intolerant of the black and white." I'm pretty much a gray person, but it's because I try to see both sides of the argument. I actually feel guilty sometimes if I don't try to empathize or understand both the black and the white. In fact, I think that, generally, most gray folks do see both sides. That's why they are gray.
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