Transcending Polarization and Duality

The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

In terms of sexuality, we divide ourselves into male and female. Financially, we see ourselves in terms of rich and poor. Americans divide themselves into Democrats and Republicans, red and blue states. Our lives are filled with these and many other dualities. Such dualities can easily lead to a polarization of beliefs and lifestyles. Once large groups of people become strongly polarized against each other, it becomes easy for those supporting one end of the polarization to justify hatred, killings, and even war against the other. Yet is this what we really want?

For thousands of years this world has been focused on duality and polarization. People have long had a tendency to judge most everything in terms of light vs. darkness, good vs. evil, us vs. them. We've in many ways been indoctrinated to embrace the light as good, while avoiding and separating ourselves from darkness, as we were taught that it is evil.

When engaged in war, other situations of conflict, and even political elections, we tend to see us as good and them as bad or evil, often without even understanding the deeper reasons behind the differences. As a result of these deeply ingrained dualities, we've ended up in numerous conflicts and wars in the world, and even inside of ourselves.

The reality is that all of us, including those on both sides of any polarity or conflict, have inspiring creative abilities, whether latent or expressed. Yet it's also important to acknowledge that we all have the capability for destruction. There are ample examples of average people being involved in horrifying, destructive acts throughout history.

One blatant example was the response by the people of Germany to official Nazi propaganda that Jews were evil during World War II. There are certainly inspiring examples of heroes who saved hundreds and even thousands of Jews, but the vast majority of German citizens kept quiet. Only a very few individuals there were willing to speak against the atrocities committed not only against the Jews, but against homosexuals, gypsies, those with physical deformities, and more. A powerful poem by German pastor Martin Niemoeller on his choice not to act exemplifies this well:

In Germany they came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

This powerful message applies not only to the time of the Nazis. During the conscious campaign to exterminate Native Americans in the early days of the United States, many good Americans simply turned their heads and took no action to stop this destruction. During many other genocidal movements that have taken place around the world and continue to this day, good people have simply avoided talking and even thinking about the issue, thus allowing the massive violence and murders to continue unabated, or to escalate further.

Two major experiments demonstrate how polarities and unwillingness to question authority exist in all of us. The famous Stanford Prison Experiment dramatically revealed that normal middle-class young men arbitrarily put into the role of prison guards can become aggressive and even violent towards those playing the role of prisoners. The Milgram Experiment showed that the vast majority of ordinary citizens will inflict pain – sometimes even severe pain – on another person simply because they are told to do so by an authority figure. For more revealing information on these two experiments, explore the links below, including the powerful slide show in the first link.

http://www.prisonexp.org - The Stanford Prison Experiment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment - The Milgram Experiment

These experiments show clearly that we all have destructive capabilities within us. When we don't live with clear intentions, it is easy to be pulled down a destructive path by circumstances, by pressure from authorities, or even by government propaganda.

By developing clear purpose and intentions and committing to live these to the best of our ability, we can transcend external pressures and disempowering old behaviors to develop healthier, more enjoyable ways of living with each other. By taking action when those in authority are clearly leading us into unnecessary wars or otherwise polarizing us, we can play a key role in creating a new paradigm beyond polarization which is actually a lot more fun and meaningful than the old ways.

Humanity is now on the brink of an important paradigm shift. We are gradually shifting from old dualistic ways of thinking to a new paradigm which transcends the differences between light and darkness, between good and evil, and between us and them. This new paradigm pierces the veil of judgment to see the common humanity that lies deep within each of us. 

No matter how "evil" some people (or some parts of ourselves) may appear, deep down we are all human. We all have hearts and a place within our hearts that only wants to love and be loved. We can learn from each other and grow through developing greater acceptance and understanding of each other. By acknowledging our differences, yet welcoming all people as members of the human family – even those we have long judged, blamed, and avoided – we open the way for healing and allow this new paradigm to more rapidly unfold as we powerfully spread love around the planet.

This is not in the least to suggest that by accepting all people we allow ourselves or others to unleash our base desires and do whatever we want to whoever we want. We need to take action to stop destructive behaviors whenever possible. The suggestion, rather, is that even as we stop disempowering behaviors, we do our best to learn about the forces which cause these behaviors, so that we can better understand and work to transform them on both personal and global levels.

We can all work towards transcending the old paradigm of duality and polarization. By recognizing and working to see the place in all people that wants only to love and be loved, we open the doors to a more peaceful world, and to deep healing and more meaningful connection for all of us. Let us then join together to support a new paradigm of love, healing, and empowerment for all who inhabit our planet. Together, we can transform our lives and world by choosing to move beyond polarization and duality to the recognition of the common humanity we all share.

Note: The above essay is an edited version of an inspiring lesson from a free transformation course available here. For two empowering two-page essays with more practical ideas on this topic, see Simple Keys to a Fuller Life at http://www.momentoflove.org/keystolife2 and Building a Brighter Future at http://www.momentoflove.org/brighterfuture.

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Transcending Polarization and Duality