"...for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet
As many of us have experienced, most people's perceptions stem from a base of thought--a premise. People use this premise when confronted with new information or a new situation, comparing the new information to their already preconceived notions or beliefs. These premises include, but are not limited to, types of family structure, broader cultural beliefs, religion, race, regional behaviors, or global conceptions; however, the way one person views new information or a new situation is usually dependent on these premises or a combination of such, consequentially dictating "good" or "bad."
But is "good" and "bad" so easily segregated? Is the world so easily understood in the terms of "black" and "white?" Do "gray" areas not have a place in a civil society?
Believing in "absolutes"--any type of absolutes--is a dangerous practice, especially since we could never predict the "new information" or "new situation" which might present itself in the future, which could ultimately result in an inability to function in a healthy, productive manner.
Don't believe me? Just ask Inspector Javert!
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