Monday, February 20, 2006

The Fornication of MInd and Body

Let's not quibble about the details, dear friends and readers. That's the place (the details) where all of the niggling little intricacies of life take place. We are above that. We like it up high, in the lofty places. We like clear distinctions, polar opposites, and overly unnatainable ideals: Good vs. Evil. God vs. Satan. Heaven vs. Hell. Bush vs. Kerry.

It's even too easy in some ways to see what's right when you lay it out so clear and plain. When you make it a heads or tails flip of the coin, then the problems of life disappear. You do or you don't. It's not about the details. It's about the broad sweeping generalizations.

When you can distill life down to it's very essence, when you take out all the, "who nuked whom's," and the "who tortured who's political prisoners for fun and profit," and the "who was building weapons of mass destruction, but really wasn't, only we thought they were and I guess we were wrong, but we aren't going to outright say so on TV, because then people will think we made a mistake even though we did, but that's not the points."

Because when it all comes down to it, it's about values. Are you going to stand on the side that has values? Or are you going to be on the side that kills and eats babies? You see? It's that simple.

The tough part is deciding, in fact, which side it is that eats the babies. That I couldn't figure out. And I'm the Good Doctor, for Chrissake.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wikis are soo cool :)

roman said...

You're right.
Generally, people don't like to dwell in the "gray" areas. It's like being in Limbo. You want to get out as soon as possible to get to that better place.
Today's mantra: "Give me the good old black or white for sanity's sake."
It's a real challange for anyone to deal with the fine details to draw their own conclusions. Too much of an effort.
Good post, doc.

Vman said...

I prefer being an independant because both sides are right sometimes. Once you begin to label yourself as something you lose your ability to compromise something essential to getting things done and essential in debates.

Dr Kuha said...

It is my experience that when "both sides are right," then it is usually the case that the sides are arguing semantics and not understanding each other.

When two people are in a heated debate and realize that they have been agreeing with each other all along, and only realized it once they defined their terms, then people look pretty silly.

In most other situations where this phenomenon crops up, it is a situation where a certain degree of tolerance of ambiguity ought to be accepted. Both sides feel that they are right, and make good cases, but both sides also lack perfect information. If a certain set of facts is unknown to both parties, then they must agree to disagree until all of the information can be gathered.

I don't believe that it is possible for two people with mutually exclusive ideals to both be right.

Dr Kuha said...

Oh, and I'm also an "independent" as far as that goes. I shy away from the term typically, because I get creeped out by terms... you know?

People oftentimes like to say they are independent as an excuse not to have opinions.

Nabeel said...

hmm I agree with Good vs. Evil .. but i don't think there's the items mentioned below are competing:

Heaven vs. Hell
God vs. Satan

Dr Kuha said...

I guess I don't exactly get your meaning.

Remember, I don't believe in any of those things. hehe.

The whole article is supposed to be very tongue in cheek.