• Shifting Polarities
    By A. Sims
    One of the important things worthy of discussion in the world of the future is extremism. Now, extremism doesn't mean what everybody think it means. Many people use that word in reference to some groups possessing of certain geo-political properties (Read; poor countries Christians do not care about,) and yet are considered not accurate for other organizations with comparably severe ideologies which they want to force down everyone elses throats, (Read; the Tea Party.)
    The word "extremism" is defined by the internet, (Google,) as; the holding of extreme political or religious views; fanaticism.
    Certain people simply refuse to believe facts because of extremism. They have no interest in what reality has to say while calculating their opinion of the truth. Then they share their conclusion, as well as the process by which it is arrived at, often without so much as a modicum of lodgic or evidence, as if everyone will completely relate and agree. Then- and, this is the worst part- they do.
    Don't look at me like that, I'm serious. I have been non-religious basically my whole life and my family spent an unnatural amount of time attempting to ingratiate me into its establishment, but I was near unanimously only further repulsed by these experiences. This is not a common experience to most. Many studies, (one in particular, performed at Harvard, by Doctor Henry Murray) serve to indicate that under constant pressure or scrutiny about one's beliefs- which is extremely unpleasant, and emotionally damaging- some people will literally experience a temporary mental collapse, where they delve into insanity and never completely return to normal again.
    One of Doctor Murray's unwitting test subjects was a man named Ted Kaczynski, better known to most as the "Unabomber."
    So there is a good reason the brain has these defense mechanisms in place. If you couldn't just go a little bit crazy and believe in a man in the sky who created and vigilantly administers to everything in existance, just because that's what he's into, when everybody else in the room is shouting at you that it's completely obvious... then... *gasp* -Oh, no! You could turn into the Unabomber when you just sort of shrug and say, "No." It isn't really any wonder; there are studies which indicate that not even "secularists," trust other "secularists," or "athiests."
    This culture of fear is created by the new belief that there is an other who is either in the majority numerically, or by degree of influence on one's life. Fear leads to anger.
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    And through a bunch of other stuff to the dark side- we, know Yoda.
    This amplification of extreme rhetoric, and ruthless defunding of essential bipartisan legislation, is a side-effect of ignorance, prejudice, and short attention-span. Entire demographics of people are not properly equipped to understand what qualifies as truth, or fact anyways, so their rejections of plainly apparent truths like evolution are not unfathomable. This symptom has the same causes. Intellectually un-endowed people such as these are able to network better than ever. They can be found across the internet spewing their logically unfounded opinions to anyone whom disagrees.
    But there are other extremes to take into account. The sharpening of the focus of progressive movements. The Red Cross, Peta, The Gates Foundation, Unicef, Norml, Marriage Equality, a lot of historic changes are happening because these groups are also able to network better than ever. These are going to only become bigger havens of empathetic people with the drive and decence of character to make being kind to their fellow man a living.
    I hope, irrationally, that these networks of human interaction and altruism will only grow stronger, and stronger until they spread into all spheres of human existence; united by a common planet; and a common experience- life on it. That in this immersion in each others existence, and acknowledgement of our ambivalence and pain, we try to make the world better for everyone. Not just ourselves, or certain others, because to exclude them is to stab one's own brother through his heart. In truth we are all one family.
    So how about we find comfort between these shifting polarities and let the whole family be prosperous?