Just about everyone can relate to their respective sensation of having cold hands and/or feet as the temperature drops to a certain level. While that might vary from person-to-person, the common effect of each individual is that their extremities get cold BEFORE the rest of their body and always the coldest of all. This becomes a very relatable analogy for situations and circumstances outside of our bodies as well.
I have noticed that more and more of both individuals and organizations have taken/are taking continually-increasing extreme positions on life’s ‘core’ issues. The “middle ground” has become abandoned in favor of philosophical/political/economic/values/personal/ideological/religious/legal and every other facet of life regarding a ‘stance’ at one end of the ‘alternative-spectrum’ or the other end. This has sometimes referred to as the lack of “common sense” and/or the absence of “compromise.” An example of this might be the whole concept of “pre-emptive pardons” by American Presidents.
Naturally, ignoring our extremities can lead to things like “frostbite” but avoiding our “core” can lead to things much worse like heart problems; brain dysfunction; lung trouble; stomach issues; intestinal malfunctions; and all types of cancers. So, if we spend all of our time, energy and effort flailing our hands hysterically over every little thing not going our ‘way’ or kicking up our feet over anything not to our personal ‘liking,’ we run the risk of missing out on the more serious issues of our most important (metaphorical) ‘organs.” To me, this seems exactly what we do when politicians give tens of billions of dollars to foreign wars while asking our citizens to pay for “Tunnel-to-Towers” or “The Wounded Warrior Project.” That would be like asking First Responders to wear Kevlar gloves/shoes and fight the ‘enemies’ with bare-chest exposed.
If truth be told, it is certainly easier to focus on our extremities than our ‘hidden internals’ (medical warning signs?). It may even be more “natural” to ignore the things that we cannot easily see. That does not make them go away, however, any more than “whistling-in-the-dark” makes the ‘monsters’ of our imagination disappear. While we mostly want to focus our attention on the easy, superficial things in life, the avoidance of looking ‘deeper’ can cause us much more serious problems in the longer term. That is the exact reason behind the concept of preventative medical “check-ups.”
Since this is NOT a medical healthcare blog, it is time to abandon this analogy and get on with the main point of this writing (a preventative philosophical check-up?). I would hazard to say that many, many of todays’ attitudes, beliefs and behaviors are ‘anchored’ in the EXTREMES. Why do I propose that hypothesis? Quite simply, it is much more easy to ‘fish’ in shallow waters. Human Nature is geared towards the path of least resistance and hard work, while may eventually be “rewarding,” is not that enticing on an everyday basis.
I do not mean to be critical of Humanity for being somewhat ‘lazy’ about understanding the real, deep-rooted meaning of many things in life. Rather, I am suggesting that it is the “job” of our Leaders to provide us those ‘answers’ yet, they have seemingly let us down in that area for quite a while now (JFK, MLK, RFK assassinations?). For example, as individuals, we have Clergy for Spiritual answers; Academics for Intellectual possibilities; Therapists for Emotional understandings; and MD’s for Physical causes. Without their help, we might only be able to see things as simple extremes like “good or bad;” “right or wrong;” “all-or-nothing;” “black & white;” “win or lose;” “life & death;” “love or hate;” “yes or no;” etc.
Since the average person can easily become overwhelmed with many of the ‘subtleties’ of life without the time and/or ability to investigate everything, we rely on our ‘expert’ Leaders to fill in the ‘shades’ of meanings in between the extremes. That is precisely why we are always feel ‘shocked’ when entrusted individuals abuse the reliance that we have placed upon them. For example, when we learn that one of our children’s teachers presents an extreme lesson at the expense of a fair-and-balanced one. Or, when we believe that a clergy member has taken advantage of a parishioner’s vulnerability. Or, when our Military sanctions “Drag Show Poetry Readings” for the ‘troops.’ Or, even when we think about a medical professional performing an unnecessary procedure or test just to ‘exploit’ our healthcare insurance ‘system.’
Beyond our individual dependence upon our entrusted expert Leaders, our collective reliance also rests with Society’s Leaders for interpreting our Cultural choices which affects our “membership” in various communities (‘legitimate’ Citizenship?). Most importantly, in our Representative Democratic government ‘mechanism,’ we expect our elected officials to negotiate healthy, middle-ground solutions to our problems/opportunities and NOT fight each other for the “extremes.” Yet, we most often see those exact positions fought across political party lines (national, state and local) without any regard beneficial compromise. I find it impossible to understand that all 50 (really intelligent) Senators of either party would agree on ANY issues exclusively (and vote in unison) without any thoughtful ‘discord.’ I am a proponent of the “Bell Curve” distribution thinking that mostly all things should be more like 80%/20% or at a minimum 75%/25%.
Likewise, lawyers quite often take extreme positions in order to satisfy their own greed and/or ego against each other (while ringing up exorbitant hourly fees) rather than being able to engage in the art of “compromise.” As has been often said, “Ther are always three sides to every story, mine, yours and the reality.” Too often, however, our dependence on these experts excludes us from avoiding the extreme options or the reasonable alternatives. I guess that might explain the increase in some of the ‘newer’ phenomena of mediation and arbitration. This is the downside of living in a country of “laws.” We are put at the mercy of the law makers/interpreters and NOT the ‘wishes’ as the tax-paying ‘owners’ of all the system’s employees. Like Politically-Appointed Judges?
The same can be said for most all of the retail commercial interests. Merchants rely on emotions like fear, guilt, jealousy, gluttony, pride, lust and greed to present their products and services in extreme “wants” and not any semblance of genuine, legitimate “needs.” Of course ‘celebrity’ spokespeople are used to add ‘steroid’ impetus to promote these many extreme interests at the expense of such real concerns like “affordability.” Do these hucksters shill out of a sincere love and use of said endorsed products or just to ‘feed’ their extreme wealth? We have “Big Food” ‘pushing’ obesity, “Big Fashion” ‘pushing anorexia and “Big Pharma” enabling them both.
Media has become the most powerful ‘vehicle’ for influencing the world of extremities. Very few outlets seem to take any position which fairly represents all sides of any issue. Instead, each becomes a ‘deranged’ advocate of one extreme position or the other by using errors of omission, opinions presented as journalism, manipulation of information, unvetted research data, news subject to vastly different interpretations, false/fake facts and other black & white ‘lies.’ While media should be a servant Leader of the “truth” for people who are not/cannot be reporters or detectives, yet they have become ‘axe-grinders,’ ‘smoke-blowers,’ and ‘mirror-shiners’ for the purveyors of various extremists.
Luckily, I and I alone have a simple answer to all of this surrealistic activity (he writes facetiously). It has become time in United States’ history to use “FUNCTION” as the ‘measuring-stick’ of Cultural Character! For too long we have become slaves to “FORM” as our indication of life’s “value.” I am a disciple of the “Necessity is the Mother of Invention” and the “If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It” Schools of Ideology. This, as opposed to the, “If You Build a Better Mousetrap, There is a Sucker Born Every Day Who Will Beat a Path To Your Door To Buy It” School. Too many of our efforts are geared towards the end-game of just making mo’ money (than we need or can possible use) and that goal totally distorts our need for sensible Functionality.
Here is a favorite example of the craziness of extremism: The “green/global warming” extremists never seem to be able to calculate the total ‘costs’ (E.G., the “carbon footprint” of electricity necessary to charge ‘battery’ cars) of their ideas. Remember, when they ‘invaded’ America’s bathrooms with their EXTREME-SOLUTION low-flush toilets, short-length/thin paper towels, auto-stop toilet paper and water-restriction faucets? So, what was the result? Remember? Multiple Flushes, many more ‘sheets’ of T.P and hand towels than previously with dirtier hands to spread Co-vid and other communicable germs. Finally, they got back to sensible (non-extreme) support for bathroom hygiene but not before years of idiotic recommendations and un-calculated real costs.
Please do not misunderstand me here, I am all for the “Bigger & Better” motivations of the American Culture, but it is just (and always) a matter of “degree.” There is plenty of room under the normal “Bell Curve” for the marginally “frugal” and marginally “wasteful” to meet their essential needs and reasonable wants. I am just warning against the pursuit of the extremes at the expense of rational Functionality. The ‘forces’ pulling and pushing towards the Extremes are incredibly formidable and without the guidance of true Leadership it is quite easy (and understandable) to get ‘sucked’ in one direction or the other. Until we get the kind of Leadership that seems to be promised for the MAGA direction, we need to be much more self-vigilant.
Therefore. Do not dangle your feet and hand too far away from the core of your body, maybe by keeping your hands in your pockets and your feet curled up under your thighs (metaphorically that is). Too many people are more concerned with manicures/pedicures than either dental or arterial “plaque.’ After all, as much as you need ‘socks & gloves,’ you need a helmet and chest vest even more!
AND IF, we are to occasionally take one extreme over the other, let us err on the side of choosing “The Waltons” over “Modern Family!”