Order and Exceptions
Jan. 12th, 2014 10:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kokopelleI've noticed something as I've gotten older. There seems to be a tug of war between the minions of order and those that embrace differences. I characterize the differences as "exceptions". Life is full of exceptions. There is the way things should work, also known as the norm, and then there are the exceptions to that order.
Exceptions come in all forms. There are exceptions purposely created because people want to circumvent the norm. There are exceptions that are natural outliers to the norm. There are exceptions that exist only because the "norm" is not broad enough to describe all the variations of life. No matter the source, there seems to be several reactions to exceptions.
Some people resist the exceptions of life. They want order, a common normality, to rule the day. Exceptions are attacked and derided as being unnatural. Well, I suppose they are unnatural to the desired order.
Other people embrace the exceptions of life. They want freedom to be what they are, when they are. Nothing is out of bands even though there is some normality out there that others choose to live by.
What to do? I believe the answer is in the mantra "everything in moderation". Order has it's place as a foundation for a common life experience. The acceptance of exceptions also has it's place as people seek their own niches of life outside of the road most taken. People will more embrace one pole or another. The challenge of life is to have compassion towards those who choose differently from you.
Exceptions come in all forms. There are exceptions purposely created because people want to circumvent the norm. There are exceptions that are natural outliers to the norm. There are exceptions that exist only because the "norm" is not broad enough to describe all the variations of life. No matter the source, there seems to be several reactions to exceptions.
Some people resist the exceptions of life. They want order, a common normality, to rule the day. Exceptions are attacked and derided as being unnatural. Well, I suppose they are unnatural to the desired order.
Other people embrace the exceptions of life. They want freedom to be what they are, when they are. Nothing is out of bands even though there is some normality out there that others choose to live by.
What to do? I believe the answer is in the mantra "everything in moderation". Order has it's place as a foundation for a common life experience. The acceptance of exceptions also has it's place as people seek their own niches of life outside of the road most taken. People will more embrace one pole or another. The challenge of life is to have compassion towards those who choose differently from you.
