devil's advocate

true neutral. some crazy internet personality alignment (see edit) "test" made the determination that i'm pretty much in the center when it comes to conflict response and mitigation. i don't remember the name of the test, but it seemed interesting, and i remember the result. the jist was that i don't really get worked up about needing to be right because i'm able to see all aspects and consider the points of the opposing argument. i feel like that's a pretty close assessment of that aspect of my personality.

edit: in looking for a photo, i realized i was duped into taking a d&d "alignment" quiz by my dork buddy Karl, who apparently is no slouch when it comes to throwing twenty-sided dice. i was never cool enough to be invited to any sorcerer's den, myself.  however, the point is made.

 my wife just says i'm contrary. i'm able to make a compelling argument to any point she makes. even when i agree with her. i get tickled, she gets pissed. it doesn't help that i find that hilarious.

in truth, i've begun to realize that whatever happens, happens. i/you/we/they can think what we want to think and do what we believe to be the "right" thing...but for every person who is sure that up is the way to go, there will be another convinced that down is better. the universe perpetually seeks equilibrium, which means to me that all "good" must be balanced by an equal measure of "evil."

so most of the time i've been simply taking the other position to see if i can defend it. i've mentioned challenging false belief systems, and i think this exercise is an important one - kind of like a life debate. it ultimately has served to guide me into an easier coexistence with the likes of fundamentalists and Republicans, because i'm willing to see if i can understand where they're coming from. 
"So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.
If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may win or may lose.
If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always endanger yourself." - Sun Tzu

more than a few of my so-called "enemies" have become friends.

i'm not invested in "winning" the argument most of the time. if presented with a well-reasoned response, am capable of adapting my views to account for new information. i think the most dangerous resource America possesses right now is an overwhelming surplus of misguided dogma. instead of building consensus and bettering ourselves and our nation for the common good, most of us are involved in taking one side or the other - often merely the side our friends or family has taken (even as a matter of tradition rather than reason) - the side we think we're supposed to take. common wisdom dictates that we should remain steadfast in our desire for things to go our way (the right way, btw), without much willingness to compromise. the current debacle with healthcare reform is proof positive of that. the net result is that nothing gets done, positive or negative, and the schism between the sides grows ever wider.

and that's actually OK with me. the status quo is what it is, more than anything else. it represents a part of that equilibrium. i need to mind my own business, pay my bills, teach my kid to open his mind. in withholding judgement, my own beliefs and actions have become less necessary to defend, because no matter what, there will always ultimately be a counteracting force.