We contain multitudes

              Do I contradict myself?

             Very well then, I contradict myself,

             (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

This quote, from Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself ”, captures the idea that we are never totally consistent. We are complex people, with complex attitudes.

I may agree with you on one of your beliefs but hold a different attitude on another issue.

This issue came up for me in a conversation with a wise person. I was talking about someone I know and how “inconsistent” I saw they were. But my wise friend reminded me that I am inconsistent also. I don’t agree with everything the party I support, although I agree with much of it. But I contain multitudes.

Political polarization has flattened the issues. There is one side or another. But, unlike what political polarization tells us, we don’t all hold the same beliefs, nor are we consistent with them.

The world is complex, we are complex, and we are not totally consistent. All of us.

When you are in conversation with a loved one, don’t focus on the inconsistencies. It is tempting to want to point them out – to show them they are wrong or inconsistent, . Instead, accept them and their inconsistency and focus on your own. Or take this opportunity to talk about the inconsistencies that you agree on. Here’s a previous newsletter on how to find things you agree on.

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