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This is http://www.essayz.com/a9804181.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %DEALING RESPONSE EXTREMISTS CONTENTION CONFLICT+980418 %ALIENATION ESTRANGEMENT OPEN HONEST DIALOGUE SIN 980418 Our personal and communal integrities depend greatly upon how wisely we respond to extremists --- people who go to the utmost limit or degree in some thought, belief, effort or action. Extremists lack balance. They are so devoted to one concern or point of view --- that they ignore and/or are indifferent to counter-balancing other considerations, concerns and points of view. They often dismiss people who have concerns and perspectives which are complementary to their own extreme point of view and concerns. They are willing to sacrifice other people's welfare, integrity and communities --- in order to promote their own. Extremists worship their cause, concern and perspective; and are willing to sacrifice their own and other people's personal and communal integrity in the service of whatever it is that they worship. True-blood extremists are idolaters --- whose ultimate concerns do not include open and honest dialogue with people who have complementary interests, perspectives and concerns. Extremists stand ready to sacrifice open and honest dialogue as non-essential "extras" --- which often get in the way of being faithful to their holy causes. Advancing their causes will more likely involve coercion and/or violence --- than attentive listening as part of open and honest dialogue with "different" people. Extremists see the world in terms of "blacks" and "whites", in terms of either/or seen in the light of some one issue. They do not see the world in terms of an intricately woven complex fabric of many inter-related issues, alternatives and difficulties. In their over- simplified world-view it is possible and proper to be absolutely sure about what is right, and what is wrong. It is thus a sign of faithlessness, weakness, and/or lack of commitment --- to be troubled by complexities, uncertainties, doubts, and/or paradoxes. When we are confronted by extremists we are tempted to respond to them in extreme ways --- to become like them---in an effort to compensate for their extreme ways of responding to complicated situations and relationships. We may in horror back off in fear and do nothing; thereby giving tacit support to the extremists --- because we do not oppose them. We may act as though we must go to extremes in opposing them --- or do nothing and let them dominate the situations in which we encounter them. Clearly we need to find some other alternative to the two just suggested. We need to recognize extremists as unbalanced and immature people who lack personal integrity and are threats to communal integrity --- because they have not made sincere efforts to bring together into a coherent whole --- the many different perspectives, concerns and considerations which are present in the members of their communities. Extremists seek to purify their communities by eliminating from their communities those people and considerations which they perceive as pollutants. According to their logic, purification often requires judgements, fragmentations, separations, condemnations, banishments and excommunications --- with the attendant alienation and misunderstanding. Often extremists regard conformity to their high standards as the essence of righteousness. Of course they want a lot of people to support them in the enforcement of their high standards. The more supporters they have, the more they can feel sure of themselves --- which is important to them because insecurity, fear and uncertainty are signs of faithlessness. They entrap themselves in double-binds, however. Extremists fanatically worship slightly different gods, and cannot tolerate people who are even slightly different. They are bound to get into fights with each other within large groups, because they cannot tolerate differences. Thus, their way of life is essentially fragmentive, disintegrative and alienative. They have no solid ground for reconciliation, hope, or integrity within large communities which they need to have --- for purposes of self-confidence. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================