Shades of Black and White

The biggest mistake in thinking today is that anything is black and white. This is the same thinking that has gotten us to where we are in the world - at least the negative places.

But life is painted more in shades of gray. Our simple minds are always inclined to look at a situation at its most basic, never taken into consideration that there might be information we don't have, can't acquire or that factors in beyond our scope. Take, for example, the recent issue brought up by some of the guys about some of the girls in the house. They thought in black and white.

"The girls don't want to get to know me so there must be something wrong with them or me."

Arriving at this conclusion is as simple as assuming the base of the situation as being negative. Not once did these boys ever imagine that the girls not opening up could be a good thing. Now, hopefully they are starting to see that it can be (and is) a good thing for the girls. Maybe this thought will lead them to question whether it is truly negative for them as well.

But we do it with most everything. Things seamlessly, automatically fall into our thinking as either good or bad before we get a chance to think about them. Unfortunately, nothing is all good or all bad - especially when considering human definitions (more on that later).

Virtually every situation has at least the smallest bad or good aspect to it. This is partially because every situation has a winner and a loser - even the most mild situations. It's also because their are manifest results - that is, unseen results - to almost every action.

The benign stranger that lets an old woman take his place on a metro car. It's a good situation. Helpful, makes him feel good. But what if that train derailed, and the woman got hurt? Does that make his action "bad" in anyway? Or is it still a pure action with simply a negative outcome? I suppose the main issue here is whether actions, their intent, and their actual outcomes are that closely tied together.

On the flip-side, and entering into taboo, I will say that the Nazi Holocaust had some positive outcomes. For one, the war itself dragged the US from the depression, saving countless lives. It also gave the world a unified body to voice concern in, and for the most part, was a war to end all wars. We've not had a global war since.

Also, Germany, Italy and Japan became incredibly closely allied with us. The Holocaust itself, while deplorable, also yielded several medical advancements that have continued to save lives.

Is the Holocaust good? Of course not. Categorically not. But that doesn't mean that something considered so heinous cannot also have something good about it.

Which brings us to human definition. What is good and what is bad? Certainly, we haven't even got the slightest concept of them. One of the main problems in theology is the Problem of Evil: If God exists, why do terrible atrocities happen? For the most part, this question has gone unanswered (at least sufficiently). The closest thing to resolve is to claim that we, as feeble-minded humans, just cannot comprehend the nature of God. Thus, we cannot understand what good and bad really are. Thus, who are we to say what bad and good are in the first place?

Perhaps that's a strong answer. What do you think?