xtreeeeeeme March 1, 2008

why is it that people go to extremes?  Sky diving, and Bungee Jumping are one thing but why do people point to extremes to make a point?

What ever political or religious affiliation you follow I am sure you have heard how absurd your stance on X, Y, and Z is. 

Let’s look at the debate on whether or not it should be OK for homosexual couples to adopt.  The pro-tradition side says that a child raised in that environment will have a warped sense of right and wrong.  Their views on gender will be destroyed.  They will grow up distrusting, and hating men.  And worse of all they will shot Laser beams from there eyes.  While the pro-gay side will say that the gay or lesbian couple will love and care for that child more than the drunken redneck that beats his prostitute wife and burns the “family” dog with cigarettes.

Wow!  When you look at those arguments you hardly no where to start.  On one hand you have a drunken wife beater and on the other hand you have a child that shoots laser beams at men.  Can you really compare the best of one world with the worst of another?  Isn’t it apples and oranges?  If you want to truly accomplish something more than just being heard you should compare your best with there best and be brave enough to compare your worst to there worst.

We even use extremes when talking about little meaningless things.  “That pepper was like a million degrees!” ” My boss is the biggest jerk.”  Really?  Cause my boss is a pretty big jerk too.

It drives me crazy.  Shouldn’t we focus on the common ground?  If we made the common ground a pleasant place to be don’t you think that more people would join us there?  Then we could find other things we had in common.  Think of the influence you could have.

The problem is that the conversation will eventually get around to our differences and we will both push away.  Accusing the other side of some outrageous extreme that in our hearts we know isn’t what they believe.  They will do the same thing and before you know it no one is talking to each other.  Everyone looks inward and thinks they are more and more right and everyone else is crazy.

Marriages are destroyed because of this.  Friendships crumble.  And we are left alone.  Relationships that once thrived are left in ruin because one person took their “ball” and went home.

What do we do about this?  Tell me what you think.  I promise you this though.  If you take anything I said to an extreme I will delete your comment and not read it.  Call me closed minded.  But I like people and I want to think the best of them.  So I will choose to focus on the common ground and cultivate it.  I will pray that when our common ground is “the place to be” we will have enough respect for each other to talk civilized about what divides us and perhaps redraw our boundaries.  Giving in a little here and gaining a little there. 

Later,

Billy