That's a No-No! Unless...

I have engaged in some political discussions over the last few days. These can be contentious, I admit, but these weren't very bad as political discussions go. But I do not want to talk about the politics involved but about certain concepts and how we form them.

When I was just begining to become human (in my opinion, that happens around 5 years of age), I had been taught that there was good behavior and bad behavior. There was no "almost" good or bad, just those two polar opposites. It was about this time that nuances were introduced into the mix. All of a sudden, instead of "always tell the truth", there was the "little white lie." You shouldn't tell Mommie that her perfume makes your eyes water or that her new hat is silly looking. Daddy shouldn't be told he has really bad body odor sometimes. You should always thank people for their gifts even if they weren't what you wanted.

Think about it... honesty is the best policy but no one likes a tattle-tale. It is a wonder that any of us grow up mentally healthy. We must sort through and make sense of so much contradictory information and training. Maybe that mental health thing is very subjective and highly dependent on cultural norms.

I understand that, culturally, we have shifted away from the either/or norm and adopted more of a "shades of gray" view of morality. I understand that. I have used it to my advantage a number of times. But I cannot shake that absolutist nature of my pre-kindergarten training. I have, over the years, learned to meld the "black or white" view with the "shades of gray" view.

My only problem has been in maintaining a consistent point on the sliding scale of where "good" ends and "evil" begins.