The Lukewarm Delusion

You've probably had someone tell you before that they didn’t really care about a certain topic, or that they didn’t hold an opinion strong enough to take a stand. Perhaps you even thought it was an expression of great intelligence, or a sign of wisdom reserved for those who truly understand the arguments on all sides. It's even possible that you've been this person before. Maybe you are this person.

You, and many others, do this whether intentionally or not, as a form of posturing. It is rarely about the issue itself. Sometimes it is about perception. You care more about how people interpret your so-called neutrality than about the truth of the matter. Other times, it is about belonging. You want to be accepted in every circle, to fit in wherever you go. You avoid taking any stand because you fear being outcast, disliked, or alienated. But in trying to offend no one, you commit the worse offence: you stand for nothing. And as the old adage goes, if you stand for nothing, you will fall for something, or worse, fall for everything.

It is, for the most part, not neutrality or wisdom. It is cowardice.

The idea that you can be lukewarm about every topic is simply not realistic. It reveals, more than anything, the shallowness of your own thought, or the complete lack thereof. This is not to say you must have a strong opinion on every possible subject. No one has the bandwidth for that. But if you have no strong opinions on anything at all, that is not a sign of maturity. It is an indictment of your integrity, your clarity of thought, and your courage.

It shows you cannot think. Worse, it shows you cannot stand. And if you cannot stand, you cannot be trusted.

Or dare I say, you are indeed, Lukewarm

Chronicles of Yimnai