It is very human to define reality in dualistic terms: black versus white, good versus evil, right versus wrong. It is also very human to attach what we identify with the label good and that which we disagree with, or see as foreign, as bad or evil. Then the just and brave among us set out to vanquish this evil: debating, suppressing, and even waring. Certainly some occurrences and thoughts are better done away with or vanquished; for they bring with them great suffering. We could create a more beautiful and better functioning world without so much intolerance and insistence. Without so much fear.

But do we want to do away with all contrast and differences of opinion?

I see things not in dualistic terms but relative terms. That is what the study of the Tao has led me to understand about reality. Differences exist in shades and not absolutes. As an artist and poet, I understand the need for shades and contrast. Otherwise creation is not possible. Sameness is perceived by the human mind as nothingness. Those you disagree with, or who do things differently from you, offer depth and nuance to your existence. You exist and are perceived because they are not the same as you. The caveat: compassion and kindness nurture and allow thriving; hatred and intolerance kill slowly, if not in an instance. That said, the wise welcome differences. We would not exist as individuals without them. So go out there and celebrate the shades and contrast creation.