The Elements of Balance

The fundamental object of any competition is to define a winner and a loser. There are many circumstances in life that require or erroneously create competition but there is no greater example of the competitive nature of human beings than that which can be found in sports. Athletic competition pits two opposing teams or individuals against each other to determine which of them is the best on a particular day. Regardless of how even or lopsided the contest ends, each of the participants will occupy diametrically opposed positions, the victor and the vanquished. This is because in sport, as in all forms of competition, there is no mutually satisfying middle ground; it is an all-or-nothing exercise that produces extremes. However, even though many encounters devolve in to a competitive state, most of the circumstances encountered in life are not competitions but instead are part of a journey that we all must take together. For this reason, points of view should not compete against each other for dominance but instead they should meld together in the quest to find solutions.

A mother holds a candy bar in her hand and looks down at her two excited daughters. The mother tells the children that they are to share the chocolate. Then, much to the dismay of the youngest, the mother hands the bar to the eldest and tells her to break it into equal halves. But before the eldest has a chance to divide the bar the mother tells the youngest that she will get to choose which half she wants. A big smile comes over the face of the youngest daughter as she waits to choose; the eldest daughter now intently focuses on finding the exact center of the bar. The lesson is one of fairness created by the balance of choice.

The scale of justice is held by the hand of a woman blindfolded with a piece of cloth. Lady Justice will render her judgement based on the veracity of the evidence, unencumbered by political or personal feelings. The blindfold is the symbol of impartiality which grants absolute power to facts in regard to conclusions. The scale of justice is solely impacted by the balance of truth.

A carpenter places a level on the horizontal and vertical edges of a rough window opening. His focus is on the properties of level and plumb which insures the proper instillation of the window. The carpenter’s work requires attention to esthetics but only secondarily to functionality. The utilitarian and esthetic qualities of the carpenter’s work are inspired by the balance of purpose. 

There are instances where the uninformed or mistaken individual has embraced an opinion based on a false narrative. There are other situations where the facts support two points of view and the need for compromise becomes essential to satisfy both parties. Once the misguided person becomes apprised of the facts or the two parties become aware of the validity of the each other’s point of view it would be logical for them to alter their positions. Unfortunately, there are those who refuse to change their opinion when confronted with facts that contradict their beliefs. They view any dissent as a personal affront and compromise as a sign of underlying weakness. In this defensive state, people become entrenched in a point of view which often turns a searching discussion in to heated confrontation. Facts will be distorted, alternative theories disregarded, and lies told, all in a desperate effort to defend the indefensible. The reason for this is simple. Most people see a disagreement as a competition. They enter the fray with the goal of winning the argument. They are driven to subjugate those that oppose them rather than enhancing their understanding with alternative perspectives.

The solution to a problem or the best course of action to be taken often lies in the center of alternative views. Giving unbiased attention to opposing opinions, being open to new and possibly transitional facts, and believing that the real purpose of discourse is to find the best solution insures that each view point will achieve its fair share of determining power. The child with the candy bar in her hand searches for the center because fairness will allow her to receive the most chocolate. Lady Justice covers her eyes so that she will only empower truth to influence the balance of the scale. The carpenter installs the window with the understanding that esthetics can only be relevant when collaterally balanced with operational purpose. The balancing impact of fairness, truth, and purpose inspires the most satisfying conclusions. Perhaps we should all spend less effort trying to prove that we are singularly right and more time finding the solutions that benefit us all.