As I grew older, I realised that rather than dropping these external attachments to arbitrary figures and ideals, we as people tend to double down on them. This is why my interest in politics ended up feeling like I was taking in the same kind of debate that I did at school, only this time instead of arguing over songs it was government funding and national infrastructure.
By Rob Argent
In my young, foolish childhood days—completely different from my older, foolish adulthood ones—I was involved in what was arguably the biggest socio-political divide in the United Kingdom.
It was one that almost tore the country apart leaving a psychic wound that would take seemingly forever to heal. No, I’m not talking about Brexit; I’m talking about whether you were a fan of Blur or Oasis.
At the time I was torn apart by the choice of Be Here Now or Blur, both albums that I dearly loved, and I saw how people defined themselves by their love of external items and personalities. Latching onto Oasis meant being a part of the in crowd while preferring Blur aligned oneself with the indie, artsy side of culture.
Me being me, I decided to go with Radiohead instead, which is perhaps one of the odder ways of saying that I’ve always had a preference for taking the middle path. How many people can say that Thom Yorke lead them to Zen Buddhism?
As I grew older, I realised that rather than dropping these external attachments to arbitrary figures and ideals, we as people tend to double down on them. This is why my interest in politics ended up feeling like I was taking in the same kind of debate that I did at school, only this time instead of arguing over songs it was government funding and national infrastructure.
During this time I again saw that by trying to walk the middle path I was being shunned by either side, despite my best attempts to genuinely hear both sides of any argument.
At times, deep listening can be a great healer. Anyone who has attended a therapy session or called the Samaritans will attest to that. But on the other hand, deep listening can be a risk to the one listening, as they are potentially opening themselves up to vitriol and biased agendas; we are often reminded that we need to be mindful of what we consume but this doesn’t just apply to food.
Look at what opinions can be broadcast over mainstream media without due diligence and remember to ask that if something is being said, why is it being said.
Walking the middle path, or the Majjhima Patipada to use its Pali term, is one of courage despite many believing that it is a soft approach that is too timid to pick a side. Yet, stand in between any two people with die hard opposing views and that ability to not take a side, that passive inaction, is a sign of strength and self-belief. It’s so easy to simply be swayed one way or the other and blindly follow another’s confidence, but resisting that notion is what can set us apart from the crowd and see through the veil of ignorance, to the heart of reality.
I’m not saying that you have to like Blur, or Oasis, or even Radiohead, but maybe give them a go and see what works best. After all, the choices we make are our own, not anyone else’s. Pick your band, or not at all, as long as you do what is true to you.
Rob Argent is an outreach practitioner, helping others recover from addiction, as well as being a qualified therapist. A lifelong interest in martial arts led him from Karate to Kung Fu, Tai Chi and meditation, and from there to Zen Buddhism in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Bringing spirituality into daily working life is his interest, and in his spare time he enjoys rock music—the heavier the better.
Photo: Pixabay
Editor: Dana Gornall
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