
WHAT SIDE ARE YOU ON? We live in increasingly turbulent times, where polarisation has become the norm rather than the exception. Society seems to demand that we pick a side—immediately, publicly, and unwaveringly. And once that side is chosen, assumptions are made about all our other beliefs. If I express agreement with a particular stance on Issue X, it’s often presumed that I automatically subscribe to an entire bundle of views on Issue Y, Z, and beyond, regardless of whether that’s true. This kind of binary thinking erodes the nuance that real life requires. I may support a politician's policy in one area and strongly disagree with their actions in another. That used to be accepted—even expected. Once, we could disagree with friends or colleagues and still talk, still respect each other, and still remain in the relationship. Disagreement didn’t mean disconnection. Today, however, the middle ground is vanishing. Grey areas are dismissed as weakness or indecision. You're eith...