People And Their Inability To Differeniate Levels On A Scale

Originally posted by Hushabye
I've noticed this a lot more lately. It's quite frightening, to be honest. Every thing is black or white- no in between at all. I pretty much don't even want to talk to any one any more.

saying everything is black or white is taking a polar end of an extreme, without examining whats in between.

reply to post by TheJourney


So what are you saying? That most people can't have a decent, clear and open discussion? That they can't grasp all of the aspects?

So we should stop discussion all together?

I object to that sir!

The death of compromise and the polarization of the two sides in American politics is a perfect example of why such thinking is bad.

It leads to people pandering to the extremist, who really now have WAY to much power because the rest of us the Quiet majority, may disagree but yet we do nothing about it because we see all the vitriol and hyperbole associated with politics and say why bother.

Its why only 30% of the eligible pop vote, its a self fulfilling prophecy.

NO one lives their lives the way politics views the world, BLACK and WHITE, us vs them mentality.

Trying running your house hold or business that way and see how far you get.

Originally posted by TheJourney
Seemingly, people in general have very little quantitative differentiation skills. This means that they have little-to-no sense of or appreciation for scales, levels, or degrees. They can only see the polar ends, and draw radically over-generalized conclusions about anyone or anything that they perceive as tending towards a polar-end.

Basically, the standard mind works as such. You divide any given subject into two opposing extremes. You then define those extremes. You then label everything you see in relation to that subject as one of the two terms you have came up with, to describe the polar ends.

This describes pro-lifers and the language they use. Pro-lifers deal in absolutes and see things in black and white. Murder/Not Murder.

After all, they seem to share the sentiments that fertilization is the point at which human life should be protected and has the same ontic and moral value as a newborn. Yet they turn a blind eye to the consequences of their mantras and polemic choice of words (IVF, rape victims and emergency contraception, only punishing abortion providers etc).

To forestall "pro-choicers are simply the other side of the same coin". Incorrect. Pro-choicers see things in shades of gray, where fertilization doesn't grant personhood status (see IVF), viability grants some protection but not at the expense of the mothers health etc.

To Op. Nice post and shows the normal duality based smallminded thinking that most of ous do. I myself play around with dualities still even if I know it is wrong. For instance I often make up a new duality where I put all the poleticians and claim that they are small minded idiots and I am happy I am not one of them. . That is also a generalisation since all poleticians are not small minded idiots, but it might be that I am 99% true about my statement .

reply to post by silent thunder


Spoken like a true businessman.
I'll conduct business with you anyday.

There is a void of fair deals these days.

Nature abhors a vacuum.

I agree that there are many people who tend to use the dual approach to thinking- black or white..... things are one extreme or the other; you are on one side or the other. The subtilities in between are not recognized, or rejected.

Depending upon my current circumstances, I will find this frustrating or valuable.

When it is I who percieves a stand point not of either extreme, and those around me are not able to tolerate that (each extreme is accusing me of being on the other side- what I run into often!) I find it frustrating and may call it stupid.

But I do see a value for this kind of thinking, in certain contexts. Furthermore, I consider it part of my "Yang" or "masculine" part of my mind (and though we may all be capable of it, I do find that males tend to use it more regularly than do females.)

I also consider this Yang part as the self conscious / ego part, and it's whole "raison d'être" is to make the distinction between "self/ not self" ! If you consider your being (of mind, personality) as being a sort of cell, with a collection of views, perceptions, experiences, preferences and choices, it is this part which constructs that cell wall, and decides what to let pass through it and what to reject out of it.

This requires an ability to really slice in between and make clear distinctions in things.

There is problems inherent in always being in the gray area, as many females can tell you- having trouble making decisions, holding a stable viewpoint, being unreliable in character, being easily influenced, being extremely empathic..... these can be the challenges.... whereas the benefits can be ability to influence others and environment in subtle ways, the ability to use psychological manipulation, to do healing and diplomacy, to find solutions and compromises, avoiding conflict .

I think both the ability to divide and to integrate, is necessary for mental and spiritual health, and either can be misused or used in a context in which it is ineffective for the intended goals.

The problems arise when the intended goals of those concerned are different- I think that is what helps to recognize! The other person using the black and white thinking may not have the same intent as yourself! Therefore their black and white approach in the moment is correct... for them.

-All that said, I think people can develop the ability to percieve more subtilities through development of critical thinking and analysis. I find that the american culture in particular has been discouraging that. I believe it might be the reason for the tendancy towards extremism in all things in our country.

reply to post by Bluesma


The great thing about the polar approach is that life cant get any simpler. Its like a solider all by himself in a trench with a mortar firing away. There is only him in the trench and the war out there. Cant get any simpler.

I completely agree, but this is a good thing if the person has morals, but can obviously end up screwing a lot of people if they are in a position of power.

its like if you have someone who views everything as black and white, good and evil, but always strives to do good, even if they struggle, or make mistakes, there will still be a lot of good generated by it.