Setting the sliders II - individual and collective

"I am not a number, I am a free man. I am motivated primarily by my own wants and needs. I will have no truck with other people trying to manipulate or control me - I am my own man."

Sounds very proud - a fair manifesto for the individual?

But how does this sound?

"I get on with people around me. I accept the majority view. I believe in social harmony, social trust; I believe that the bonds that hold society together necessitate me to hold my selfishness in check."

A wise Rabbi once wrote: "you have to accept two contradictory statements as both being simultaneously true. One - the universe was made for you. Two - you are as insignificant as a grain of sand". Learn to balance the two, and you will find harmony and purpose.

So - not about sliders, but being able to belong at both ends of the continuum simultaneously?

This pairing goes to the heart of politics - the right-left spectrum, where devil-take-the-hindmost, survival of the fittest is played at the ballot box against appeals to support the underprivileged, to flatten out inequalities. The usual problem is that politicians promoting the latter argument are usually doing so to further their own individual agendas.

My sister-in-law (Cousin Hoavis's mum) very wisely summed up this particular quest for balance as 'being true to yourself but avoiding hurting others'. Beautifully put.

This time two years ago:
Lenten recipe - will not appeal to all

This time three years ago:
Tourist trail through Jeziorki