I live in a world of greys. Ooo look out, he's getting moody. No. I'm not. Those are not the greys I am referring to. I could just as easily said I live in a world full of colors. The world of colors concept is a bit harder for people to grasp. White light is made up of all the colors. Black pigment is made up of all the colors. Therefore all the colors are present and nothing is truly black or white. That's just brushing over the concept very quickly. It is so much easier for people to grasp the concept of the grey scale with black and white on either end. Sometimes, we have to take things down to their simplest levels to really understand them.
There can be problems breaking things down to their simplest levels however. Those problems generally arise when people break things down to their own view of what the simplest levels are. What makes the situation all the stickier is the fact that we all can only truly view the world from our personal perspective. Therefore our views of the world are going to be inherently self centric. Our society does nothing to help the situation. We are constantly bombarded with imagery and words telling us how we should be, what we should wear, or even what we should think. Class distinction is prevalent everywhere. It's just a matter of changing the labels in each situation. The struggles aren't just between the wealthy, the middle class, and the poor. We have the leaders, their assistants, and the citizenry. We have the technocrats, the rebels, and the sheep. Pick your situation and your labels, and you'll find class distinction.
Election times are always ripe with class distinctions. They are filled to overflowing with supposed black or white choices. You are with us, or you are against us. Disagree with one point and obviously you must disagree with all the other points as well. Let the propaganda, the word-smithing, the spinning, the manipulations, the partial truths, and the outright lies begin.
Politics is but one place where we see this sort of thing. Religions are filled with it. No, let me rephrase that. There are those who fill religions with those sorts of thing. This, I find to be one of the sickest twisting of truth there is. Politics, sure go ahead. We know you are all liars and cheats. Even if you aren't, you are according to your opponents. Religions though...seriously folks. If you are going to take a black or white stance on anything religious, particularly whose beliefs are correct, you have missed the fucking point. Sorry to put that crudely like that, but religious bigotry is the most idiotic of all bigotry.
I am drifting from my point. We are constantly faced with choices and decisions. We are constantly forced to face reality or accept the fictions. Because of this, we come to the center of it all. Why is it that the most painful things to say to ourselves or anyone else are always so few in words? An entire tirade aimed at someone will not equal the pain they will feel should they ever have to say these small sentences. I guess this comes back to breaking things down to their simplest forms. I guess this comes back to the colors and greys as well. The supposedly black pain leads to the freeing whiteness. Too complex? Then let's take it to its simplest form. We always feel a bit better after a good cry. Pain and freedom. Colors and greys. It is not black tears and white relief.
So we find ourselves the focus of much pain from 3 or 4 words. It is no wonder we run and hide from having to say these words. It is no wonder we avoid this pain. It is however an incredibly wonder that we keep ourselves from the freedom and joy that comes afterwards. Just what are these 3 or 4 words? What are these small sentences I am going on about?
I'm sorry.
I was wrong.
I didn't know.
I never thought of that.
How was I so blind?
It's not about me.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Ok so that last one was particularly nerdy and quite longer than the others. The point is that these and countless other admittances cause us so much pain that we seem to avoid them at all costs. Why though, why are they so powerful and painful? They can destroy our views of heroes. They can shake the very foundations of how we were raised. They force us out of ourselves. More than anything, I think no one wants to admit that a situation or even the world is not exactly how they perceive it. It is scary to think that our reality is not necessary the reality.
I'm reminded of the part in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, when Peter and Susan go to the Professor in regards to their sister "telling stories." There they stand, on the verge. There they are in one of those situations where they can either "stick by their whatevers" or prepare themselves to say one of those little sentences. The Professor uses a bit of logic and basically gets Peter and Susan to see that there may be a bit more to their realities than they think. Effectively saying since Lucy isn't known to be a liar and since she is holding onto her convictions without wavering, maybe they should at the very least consider what she is saying.
Ultimately the choice was theirs, just like is ours. Most times we aren't lucky enough to be presented with something as blatant and undeniable as landing in a different world. But then again, each time we are faced with a decision, aren't we really faced with the choice between this world and a slightly different one? Doesn't the journey from the pain of admittance to the freedom afterwards always leave us in a "different world?"
If I took a red apple and painted half of it green (or conversely a green apple and painted half red), then placed it between two people, what color is the apple? One side says red. One side says green. They each think they are right and the other is wrong. Depending on how they were raised, each one might even have as their ideal of an apple as it being red or green. Depending on the personalities, they might get into a ridiculously heated argument over the color of the apple. It seems so simple when put into terms like this. The thing though that gets me is that I feel like most people would say the only solution is to show each the other side of the apple. Generally this is based on the idea of "if only they could see my side they would know that they are wrong." Not many would stop to think to turn the apple a mere 90 degrees. That would allow a person a peek at the other side. If they can see a little bit of the other side, they will have more information than before. It will be information in their reality. Hell, if 90 degrees is too much, 45 degrees would have the same effect. The point is that just seeing even the slightest bit of "the other side" can have major effects.
Of course, even with new information, a person may not wish to face the little sentences. They may choose to alter their view of reality to counter whatever they just saw. They may choose their world and not a slightly or vastly different one. I pity these people. Not in some "oh look at me being all high and mighty" way. I pity them the freedom they pass on. The world is not black and white. Nothing should be a "you are either with me or against me" scenario. Oh and to those who might liken these thoughts to the old adage "there are two sides to every coin," I say close but no cigar. Actually, if I am to be totally honest here, and I see no reason not to be, I don't say close but no cigar. "There are two sides to every coin?" Bullshit! There is the edge as well. There is always the edge. No matter how black or white you think something is. Remember there is always the edge. There is always the "dividing line" that is neither side. I guess my edge or dividing line is just bigger than my sides.
I say all of this with conviction because it truly is my belief. I will stand by my statements. I will continue to try to get people to see that there is more to the world than maybe is in their world. BUT....I do all this with the knowledge that I myself have to face the decisions between my world and a slightly different one. I do all this with the faith that when those decisions arise, I will take the journey from pain to freedom and say one of those little sentences. Life is a journey that begins with knowing yourself. If you don't know where you stand, if you don't know where things around you are standing, you'll never really know where you are or what direction to travel in. Walking in circles is not much of a journey if you ask me. I'd rather break free and enjoy the sights as my world changes a little with each step. I may not know where I am going, but sometimes, when you really think about it, sometimes it is the journey itself that is the true destination.
Peace.
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