THE EXTREMES

A few weeks back I was having a little health issue and I Googled over-the-counter solutions. The name of a particular natural herb came up that I had never heard mention of before, but I went looking down the local Walmart's aisle brimming with "vitamins and natural supplements" and there it was!

On the one hand, I don't believe everything I read on the internet. On the other hand, I am a frugal guy and I figured 9 bucks for a bottle of something that MIGHT work could be a wise investment before entering a doctor's office and paying untold fees for an appointment followed by an expensive prescription of some sort. 

All that is to make this point: That aisle at Walmart (and Target and Kroger) is jammed with bottles of all sorts making all kinds of health benefit claims - from better sleep to clearer thinking to more energy. It is amazing to behold.

And it occurred to me as I stood there that some people see all those bottles and believe EACH natural extract and root powder is nature's own medical miracle. And some people walk by, scoff, and believe that it is ALL snake oil sold only to the gullible. 

It seems only rational to me that both extremes are likely to be terribly mistaken if the truth could be known with certainty. Would you agree that the rational person would believe reality lies somewhere between the two extremes? And rational people could debate whether the truth is closer to miracle or snake oil, but all would have to admit there is at least some of both in the mix. 

This seems incredibly obvious to me on a subject (like natural supplements) in which I am not emotionally invested. It took me a long time to see that this same rejection of the extremes should apply to other matters which are much more emotionally charged for me:

What if the other political party isn't 100% corrupt, stupid and/or evil?

What if the president I don't like isn't a complete moron or a hapless dementia patient?

What if my favorite news source can't be trusted 100% either?

What if my theological tradition doesn't have a corner on the whole truth?

What if Big Pharma is neither our saintly medical savior nor a money-hungry addiction machine?

What if my worst enemy is actually striving to do his or her best at life?

I understand the appeal of the extremes. They can be places to "take a stand" and to find like-minded people. And everything is black and white and there's comfort and security in that.

But if we really seek the truth, we might want to keep a certain distance from the extremes. 

(P.S. The natural supplement I found at Walmart is doing the trick! A doctor's visit has been avoided.)