Week 36 - "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function" - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Like the rest of the world this week, I was horrified to learn about the current situation in Israel. I won’t say I have the most cohesive understanding of the situation, but will confidently say that war and violence against innocent citizens is never the answer to conflict.
Yet, where I expected to see individuals generally praying for those in danger and coordinating relief/information, I was surprised to see a wave of individuals refusing to condemn such violence. I previously understood that there were those on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict, however, I liked to believe that most people on either side agreed that violence would never be the answer.
But based on the reactions of some, it seems that many have either overlooked or forgotten the idea that two things can be true at the same time.
This realization has been something many including myself struggle with, especially when we want to be right and someone else to be wrong. But as I’ve matured, I’ve learned how the complexity of life makes knowing something to be more true than anything else an extremely rare occurrence.
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so” - Mark Twain
We all have strong opinions, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We’re entitled to them and should advocate for those we truly believe in.
And I’m not saying that anyone on either side of the conflict is right or wrong, but I am saying that being adamant about something that is ultimately an opinion doesn’t make sense.
Once you combine that idea with the notion that two things can be true at the same time, it becomes clear how some people have let an opinion overshadow the truth/truths.
For example, we take the idea that violence is wrong to be an essential truth, but someone’s opinion of it to be just that, an opinion.
Now some may say there is a truth in the core of violence, but to those who respond to violence with personal opinions, it’s essential to acknowledge that two things can be true at once. Your opinion may be correct, but that doesn’t mean the ultimate truth of the matter isn’t.
The message extends far beyond what’s happening in the Middle East. In an ever-increasing polarized world, it’s important to recognize that multiple truths and perspectives can coexist. We should question what we consider as the ultimate truth, and stay conscious of anything we are certain of.
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