Why Am I Writing This Blog?

Part of why, anyhow, is that I can’t seem to fit in to the current political and cultural debate. It is kind of lonely, but the reward to being an outsider is that you get to look dispassionately at both sides. I’m not as attached to getting membership in an identity as I used to be, so I don’t need to give it as much deference as I did. It doesn’t free me entirely from prejudice, but I do get to see more clearly than when I was trying to fit in and gain acceptance through conformity.

I still have plenty of thoughts and opinions, maybe too many, but I now assemble them from the arguments of both sides. I have found that when you honestly examine what your opponents are saying, there are usually insights and elements of truth there. You might find you get reinforcement for your own existing position, or, occasionally, you might even do a 180.

But best of all, sometimes you gain an entirely new point of view. You see a better way, and, at least to me, it really, really does seem better. I think this is the value you get from listening to the other side, rather than just hearing another repetition of the arguments your own side is making.

This is why I can’t say I’m liberal or conservative. It’s just too complicated. I could say, “well, I’m with the liberals on this issue, but with the conservatives on that one.” What do I do then? Tally them up at the end of the day? See which has the most?

But it’s actually worse than that. Honestly, I’d have to say, “well, I find on this aspect of this particular issue, I’m with the liberals, but on some other aspect of it, I’m with the conservatives.” When you get to this point, trying to use the labels is not just ridiculous, it begins to really cloud the issue and inhibit your understanding.

It’s also why I can’t even just give a short answer to the question of what my position is on some topics. It takes some unpacking. If I just say “I support it,” or “I oppose it,” people on both sides of the issue won’t understand why unless I explain. And I don’t mind you thinking I’m wrong, but I do want to be thought wrong for the right reasons. That is, if you think my starting assumptions or logic or some point of fact is wrong, I’m good with that. But if you think my position is based on ignorance, stupidity, prejudice or meanness, I’m not okay with that. So if I’m going to be hung, in your estimation of my character, I want to be hung for something I actually did or believe, not for what you think, probably incorrectly, I did or believe. If I’m to be judged by you, being understood is more important than being right.

So, generally, I try to avoid giving my opinion unless I can also give my reasoning. If you don’t want to hear all that, then no problem. You don’t have to. But then you also don’t get to hear my opinion.

Hence this blog. It’s the long answer to the short questions: “what are you?” and “what do you think?”