Moderation is best understood through engaging extremes

I saw a tweet this morning that triggered some thoughts for me and since I am challenging myself to share more of my thinking in a public setting… I thought I would take the time to write them down.

So, why is there value in learning to engage with extremes?

Through experiencing extremes with attune our senses. Sharpening our focus and learning to navigate new emotional spaces. Building feelings around new stimuli that inform who we are and the views that we hold.

Experiencing extremes is also part of the natural cycle of changing seasons. Where we learn to change with nature, realising that nothing last forever. Our contemporary lifestyles have tempered the extremes that we are exposed to, so every now and then it’s important for us to intentionally put ourselves into extreme contexts.

When many people read or hear the word moderation, their first instinct might be to turn to the word balance in seeking to describe it. I believe that the concept of balance being 50/50 is a falsehood. Something that we should encourage against.

Moderation is something that is sought, something that is engaged in, a journey that is ever changing. Not an end state that is achieved. In similar sense balance can be made whole through multitude of different combinations and constructs.

One learns how to balance, you don’t arrive at it. You learn to deal with the pulls, pushes and shifting dynamics of the environment.

Learning to intentionally and mindfully engage in extremes can give our neural networks an exposure to a different form of energy. An energy that helps us to be more present and mindful of our broader environment.

One of the things that I deeply value about the internet is how it gives us the ability to learn from the thinking of others. The internet (and the broader ecosystem) may get a lot wrong, but it also gets a hell of a lot right!