Do words have a past? I would guess they do. For example the word 'neutral'.
It takes me back to the history class, which I so badly wanted to end. And then to the stuffy chemistry labs. Also reminds me of a punch I got right in my face for being neutral in my friends' fight (each of them wanted me to take his side). What it reminds me the most of is a short story I had read a few months back. It was a story called No one will laugh by Milan Kundera in the book Laughable Loves.
Briefly it is a story of a reputed writer who has been asked to give an opinion on another article written by an amateur writer. The reputed writer is in a catch because he hasn't liked the article at all. He isn't willing to hurt the later by telling his frank opinion but at the same time doesn't want to diplomatically give a neutral opinion. Life gets really tough as he insists on not being neutral. Had he been neutral life would have been much better for him materialistically. But probably he wouldn't have been in peace with himself.
It is very natural and human to be polarized about almost every issue. But what one would like to put at stake for insistence of it is matter of irrationaliity.
It takes me back to the history class, which I so badly wanted to end. And then to the stuffy chemistry labs. Also reminds me of a punch I got right in my face for being neutral in my friends' fight (each of them wanted me to take his side). What it reminds me the most of is a short story I had read a few months back. It was a story called No one will laugh by Milan Kundera in the book Laughable Loves.
Briefly it is a story of a reputed writer who has been asked to give an opinion on another article written by an amateur writer. The reputed writer is in a catch because he hasn't liked the article at all. He isn't willing to hurt the later by telling his frank opinion but at the same time doesn't want to diplomatically give a neutral opinion. Life gets really tough as he insists on not being neutral. Had he been neutral life would have been much better for him materialistically. But probably he wouldn't have been in peace with himself.
It is very natural and human to be polarized about almost every issue. But what one would like to put at stake for insistence of it is matter of irrationaliity.