the myth of being neutral
left or right. positive or negative. acid or base. often, there are two choices, two possibilities. either you’re here, or there. make a choice, make a decision. life is plagued enough of grey areas, we should make distinctions when and where we can.
i hate grey areas. that imaginary place where things are neither right or wrong. but, does it really exist? are there really things that are neither good nor evil? or do we just defer making judgment? perhaps for fear of making the wrong one, and being persecuted for it?
integrity, that’s what they have: people who make choices and stand by it. even when their viewpoints strongly opposes mine, i have higher respect for such people than those who choose to remain vague, taking neither side, preferring to be at the “middle”.
‘the middle’ such is a treacherous place to be. the ‘bull’s eye’, afterall, is not an exact point, but a considerable area in the vicinity of the center. basic mathematics taught us that “zero” on the number line is practically an imaginary point. and any chemist will tell you that the neutral pH is very unstable and difficult to approximate. should life be any different?
beliefs must not be cast in stone. but to have one, and be consequent about it: is that really so difficult?
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14 Responses to “the myth of being neutral”
February 7th, 2005 at
A leftist friend once mentioned to me about being in the middle.
kung wala ka sa kaliwa dapat nasa kanan ka,
hindi ka pwede sa gitna,
dahil kung ikaw ay nasa gitna,
masasagasaan ka ng bus.
Simple analogy but very true.
February 7th, 2005 at
Hi Ruthie — me naman, lagi akong “it depends on the situation” kasi dami-daming scenario to consider when being asked to consider 2 possibilities ESPECIALLY when these are done in a hypothetical manner.
My psych prof used to ask us questions and we weren’t allowed to say “maybe” or “no comment” — you have to choose between one or the other and when given THAT scenario then the students showed where they really stand in important matters in life.
February 8th, 2005 at
hmm..I’ve always been the straight type but living here for so long changed me in some ways.y’know,when in Rome,do as “….
The Japanese are always in the gray area,never black or white..it’s always read my lips cos a yes may mean “no”. Make waves and you’ll be nailed,says one famous saying here..hayyy,I’ve been nailed a countless times for speaking my mind!
February 8th, 2005 at
Ruthie dear, I forgot to log in,that’s my comment above,silly me. lol!
February 8th, 2005 at
When I was younger, I was very opinionated. Everything was so clear cut; I looked at things in black and white and nothing else. Now that I’m a bit older, I realized that life is much more complicated than I thought and sometimes, after considering all the different aspects and angles of a situation, I can’t help but take a neutral stand.
You said it yourself, the middle is a hard place to be. It so much easier to take a stand, right or wrong than be in the middle. But when neiter right nor left makes sense to me, I’m glad I have the option to be in the middle.
February 8th, 2005 at
husengbusabos, salamat sa pagdalaw at comment. nakakatawa naman analogy mo. pero parang ganun na rin ibig kong sabihin, hehe…
February 8th, 2005 at
xtine, that professor of yours nailed it. if you’re left with no choice but to make one (heh, labo!)… i mean, if you force yourself to really weigh things and make a choice, ultimately you’ll reach one.
February 8th, 2005 at
sachiko, i know where you’re coming from. in my case, age and living abroad broadened my perspective of things. but being nailed for something you really believe in is better than saying something and doing another, ain’t it?
February 8th, 2005 at
hi hilda! on the contrary, i think if you really spend the time and effort, you will arrive at a choice. whether pangangatawanan (that was long!) mo yung choice mo or not, that’s a different story. i also think people prefer to be in the middle kasi it’s much simpler, much safer. dead-ma, ika nga nila. AC-DC. bahala na. rather than take charge and choose just one option and risk losing out on the other option.
February 8th, 2005 at
i was having a hard time deciding if i should post a comment or not … he he he…. one thing is certain, my hubby calls me “extreme”… walang middle ground. you are either good or bad. but i’ve also learned to stop and wait when faced with a tough decision. and you know what else i’ve learned? i do not always have to make a choice because HE makes it for me.
February 8th, 2005 at
it can be said na it’s a sign of having a dignity much less than others, but sometimes…it’s the best way to do it. especially kung both sides make sense though totally opposite (ay, ang kulit!…ano kaya yun…?) plus, mas matitimbang mo yung situation kung nasa gitna. at least, that’s what i think. not saying that i never take sides because i do…though most of the time i’ve stayed in the middle. you can hate me, ruth…i don’t care. it’s your opinion and i can’t hold that against you. i still love you, my friend. peace!
February 9th, 2005 at
rhada, mukhang talagang pinagmuni-munihan mo, ha? thought provoking ba?
des, ikaw naman, puro kuro-kuro lang naman ang mga ire, hehe. as i’ve said, people may have opposing views as mine, but am not so narrow minded naman to take it against them, in the same way that i hope i won’t be crucified for mine
this is not to say that i have never played middle, ha? in fact, for the longest time, i have refrained from making choices/decisions over some issues simply because it’s the safest thig to do (or at least, i don’t verbalize it para mas safe, hehe). this blog was just a way for me to weigh whether what i’m doing is fair/right.
thanks for your comments, girlies!
February 9th, 2005 at
…ruth, i didn’t mean for my response to come out like that. hehe. i know na kuro-kuro laang ang mga iyan. ala eh, ang akin laang naman eh, kung ano rin ang aking nasa isipan. nyahahaha
February 9th, 2005 at
thought provoking talaga kaya no comment ako nyahaha….hmmn, parang gusto ko yatang i-forward ito kay asawa. nuninu-ninu