Quicksand in the middle ground
I’m sure we can all agree that these are crazy times; politically, economically, culturally… all that. No matter where we look there is a new disaster, controversy, or movement. The ugly reality of war is ever present, and the threat of more conflict looms dark on the horizon. Social norms are in flux; battle lines have been drawn in nearly every intellectual space and across every platform. Never in my life have I seen so much polarization. And just to be clear, I’m not just talking about politics here, because dividing lines spiderweb through every strata of life.
Given this climate of debate and factions, I have had to look at my own tendency toward the moderate position, and belief that truth is rarely best served by extremism on any side of an issue. While I understand the danger of logic fallacy here (for example, in an argument about whether the sky is yellow or blue one can’t chose the middle and say green,) I don’t often see a single perspective serving all the facts. Recently though, I’ve pondered whether it is even responsible not to chose sides. Have things become so hot and stakes so high that the moderate position has been reduced to cowardess? Do we now live in a time when one must chose sides or be destroyed in the crossfire? Is it better to choose an imperfect faction than to be left without a tribe in a culture war that is inevitable? Has the idea of being a peacemaker become a naive delusion?
The answer to these questions seems to be more complicated than I would like, as the truth often seems to be. I conclude that I have to take each moment as it comes, consider every issue as it arises, and form the best stance I can. Perhaps that means taking a hard position on a particular piece of legislation — even if I can’t be satisfied by a single party — or maybe it means arguing devils advocate in a situation, simply to defuse hate and anger that would otherwise destroy any chance for dialogue. When it comes to political issues, the past several months have taught me that I must try to manage the difficult act of staying calm and engaging in conversation. The key to that is always treating people with love and respect even if I disagree with them — difficult, I know. But by restraining the heat of opinion, dialogue may be possible when it seems unlikely, and I believe that is a good thing. The only way to reduce the polarization in our culture is to venture out of the echo chamber of our own alliances and talk to “the enemy,” perhaps even finding a friend. I have changed others’ opinions and had mine changed as well, and my perspective has grown.
Alright, but what about art? What about personal culture? Can I be a peacemaker of ideas and find moderate ground in those spaces? Can I be inspired by both classical and modern modes without one simply waging conquest over the other in my work? Can I live a spiritual life in midst of secular humanism without being always at war within myself or at odds with my environment? How can live with balance and not be torn between competing masters?
I believe the answer in this case is yes and no. Yes, I can seek this balance, and create art that honors a diverse sense of culture and history. Yes, I can build relationships of love and respect with individuals and movements that represent journeys distinct from my own. But no, I will never be free of inner conflict and questions. I will never reach a point of stasis where I can stop striving for the way forward. I will always have to tread water or sink. That’s fine though, I possess the life force within me. It’s the same force that drives a tree to grow up through concrete, or flourish hanging from an unstable cliff. I can live richly and with magnanimity. I can be one of those who by their humanity turn combat into a dance.
However, after coming to this inspiring realization another question came on its heels. By choosing to live in a moderate space between polarized extremes, will I be a man apart? Will I be a pilgrim moving through the world with no place or tribe? Will my career suffer? Perhaps, but I think not. I believe there are many people like me: people who love classical sculpture and conceptual installations both; people who grew up devouring literature but who won’t turn their nose up at a fun thriller; people who can love Beethoven and Billie Eilish; people who can see others and love them, even if they disagree with damn near every opinion they have. I believe there are a lot of us, and that the world needs us. It takes courage to chose sides in a heated conflict, but it takes another kind of courage to say, “I will not make you my enemies,” and stand firm in the contested middle ground. This is what I seek for my life and art practice. I want people of all backgrounds and convictions to stop, look, and say “That’s cool man, well done.”
This is my hope, and I’m discovering that I chose this road love before I knew it. I hope to walk it well, and hope I’m not alone. Let’s stop fighting for a minute and make something really badass, even if we fight more later. Let’s celebrate excellence.
Anyway, if you’ve read this far thank you. Please me know what you think of all this, I genuinely am curious what others might have to say. Comment below.