You’ve heard enough times that you should be “balanced”. It turned out there are many cases where the extreme ends (one or both) are the best place to be. The notion of balance in our society is so prevalent that most people can’t even think about balance being a bad thing. But there is nothing in the universe, that tells us balance is sacred. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, sometimes it doesn’t really matter.
The Game of Life takes place in “space”. Our brain, where The Game of Self plays, is also a space. Understanding spaces is important. A space has size. Any space has a reaction when overcrowded. Spaces have dimensions. Every dimension can have a direction. We call the dimensions “spectrums”.
A typical spectrum is to eat half of a huge pizza and have two options for the other half – throw it away or leave it for a homeless person. You decide to throw it away. How much should you care about what you just did? Too little and you let it go. Too much and you order three pizzas and bring them to a local homeless shelter. For most people, it will be a near-best use of their time and money in the Game of Life to do something so good for others and society. In the Game of Self you feel great and you made a hunter move, that may well lead to other beautiful acts in the future.
You care too little – you’re good. You care too much – you’re the best! For the medium amount of care given – you spend a slightly guilty evening at home and no homeless person gets to eat any pizza. Also, you made a Sheep decision which may lead to other such decisions in the future. Most spectrums in life about how much you care look exactly like this one.
Some stuff you cannot change and you shouldn’t care. Some you can and you should care for the change to happen. Though you can also don’t care and focus your energy elsewhere, this is better than the balance. It’s sometimes a hunter’s move to not care if the issue isn’t critical. But to care and not do anything is the classic sheep move, the worst of the worst.
By implying that somehow the best amount of everything is always in the middle when all evidence says it’s usually not, is not just irresponsible, it’s harmful to individuals and society.
