If I had to characterize my "natural personality" with a single word, I suppose "diplomat" might be as close to accurate as any.
I have often been urged to "pick a side," but actually don't do so all that often... as a result of which I have been called a "fence sitter," "ineffectual" and things considerably less savory.
But here's the thing: I typically avoid picking sides unless they happen to align with my values and opinions. Which rarely happens.
I'm just not into the whole extremism and what looks (to me) like near-fanaticism that seems to go hand-in-hand with so many ideas in this day and age. There are very few things in life I hold such fervent beliefs about.
I think what frustrates (or angers) people is that I tend to support outcomes, rather than causes, people and belief systems.
I just don't do so-called group think... but if what a group stands for happens to overlap with what seems right, I'll certainly go with them for a while. In other words, I also don't reject groups as a matter of principle.
I believe this particular approach is called "thinking for yourself," or as one anarchist leaning friend once characterized it, a sort of self-serving altruism.
Why this is such a difficult concept for most people to grasp I am not sure. I am voting in favor of getting the damned potholes in our streets fixed, but I could care less whether said fixing is don't with "Bob Smith" or "Susan Jones" in position of being the mayor. Or Road Repair commissioner. Or whomever is in charge.
"But that's not the way life works!" I have often been told. And I still hear such exclamations on a regular basis. And I can definitely recognize the truth in those statements.
But here's the thing: I would like the world to work that way... where the actions and effectiveness of politicians took precedence over their personality and dirty laundry.
So maybe the best thing to do is forge ahead and "BE the change you wish to see in the world," as Gandhi so famously said.
Because unless we're willing to do that, it's unlikely we'll ever create a better world for future generations... and I'd feel pretty bad about handing off our version of "Idiocracy!"
Ultimately, I do actually "pick sides," but people just seem uncomfortable with the fact that the "sides" I pick aren't part of the groupthink...
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Friday!
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Created at 2023-08-04 00:08 PDT
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