Are You a Wall Hugger?

Are you a wall hugger? I believe most, certainly many, Americans are. Wall huggers have a hard time walking down a middle path of a controversial issue; they seem to quickly cling to a wall on one side or the other.  Whatever group we feel we are part of, we tend to repeat the same words and ideas that come from our group’s culture. The middle road involves clear thinking, good judgment, and calm emotions. There is no wall to guide us, but only our wisdom. It’s a lot easier for the blind to hug the wall to wherever it may lead, but there’s no guarantee he’ll like it when he gets there—and then he’ll blame someone else for the wall he followed.

Most conservatives or liberals will sound about the same as the rest of their group. Most gays will sound the same; most Christians will sound the same.  Believers will cluster together and atheists will cluster together. The list can go on for many issues. In each case some things each side says are good points and some of what they say is just hogwash. The true and right answers are usually somewhere between the two extremes.

We need more clear thinkers to guide us, with a balanced understanding of both sides of an issue. We need more people without the emotional baggage that divides us.