How to be Good?

Bitesize: The Dangers of Binary Thinking

April 05, 2021 Sarah Buckmaster Season 1 Episode 9
How to be Good?
Bitesize: The Dangers of Binary Thinking
Show Notes Transcript

This third Bitesize Episode* focuses on Binary Thinking.

We are living in a time of deep polarity – both politically and socially. It seems our beliefs, opinions and actions are becoming more and more pushed to two far ends of a wide and diverse spectrum.  

Binary thinking – the yes/no, right/wrong, start/finish, good/bad way of thinking is something we, as humans, turn to when we’re feeling scared and want a safe space. Binary thinking makes us feel safe because it’s a simple way of looking at the world – it removes uncertainty, complexity, not-knowing and replaces it with certainty, simplicity and all-knowing – or so it feels... let's talk about why that isn't the case.

*In Bitesize Episodes, we take a few minutes to focus on a theme, topic, or piece of advice related to “How to be Good” that’s come up in our interviews. We'll talk about how we can put advice from our interviews to practical use in our daily life.

[Podcast Theme Music: upbeat electro/beats]

Sarah Buckmaster [00:03]
Hi everyone, I'm Sarah and this is "How to be Good?" - the podcast that explores what it means to be a good person in today's world. 

[Podcast Theme Music]

Sarah Buckmaster  [00:14]
For this episode, we’re taking a few minutes to focus on binary thinking.

Buddhist Abbot, Khen Rinpoche, Geshe Tashi Tsering
"it is not completely black and white. But we tend to interpret to ourselves, or to the others, good and bad, right and wrong."

Sarah Buckmaster [00:37]
We are living in a time of deep polarity – both politically and socially. It seems our beliefs, opinions and actions are becoming more and more pushed to two far ends of a wide and diverse spectrum. 

Although this polarity is most definitely the cause of many of our current societal problems and issues, it is also worth acknowledging that it is often the result of feeling afraid.

Polarity arises more commonly when there are deep-rooted fears and insecurities that we’re feeling about our identity, about our sense of belonging, and about our safety in general.

Binary thinking – the yes/no, right/wrong, start/finish, good/bad way of thinking is something we, as humans, turn to when we’re feeling scared and want a safe space. Binary thinking makes us feel safe because it’s a simple way of looking at the world – it removes uncertainty, complexity, not-knowing and replaces it with certainty, simplicity and all-knowing – or so it feels.

It makes sense that we run towards it, but like many things in life, the very thing we run towards when in fear often ends up feeding the problem, and we find ourselves in a vicious cycle; binary thinking feeds polarisation, which feeds fear, which drives us towards more rigid binary thinking, resulting in higher levels of fear and so on…

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In my very first interview for this podcast, Rabbi, Elli Tikvah Sarah passionately spoke about binary thinking 

Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah [02:10]
“I’m against Binary Thinking. I don't like binary thinking”

Sarah Buckmaster
She was speaking in the context of Israel-Palestine when she said this, which is a subject the Rabbi is particularly passionate about – and it’s a subject that usually calls for extreme views and for people to stand on one side or the other. 

Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah
"And most people want to - they're either pro-Israel and anti-Palestine or pro-Palestine and anti-Israel, and I say - well I'm pro-Israel and pro-Palestine. There are very few of us, but there are some of us who want to hold those two together. These things are always complex. People like to be partisan in one way or another. And most Jews, understandably, are partisan because we're still scape-coated and there's the most horrific anti-semitism online"

Sarah Buckmaster [02:55]
F. Scott Fitzgerald once said that “the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” – I found Rabbi Elli inspiring in how she works to hold two opposing viewpoints on an issue that carries with it tension and huge emotional and physical pain for many. 

For Rabbi Elli, much of the persecution she’s experienced personally as part of her journey to become the first lesbian Rabbi in Britain to lead a mainstream synagogue has often been caused by black-and-white thinking; there’s one right way, anything else is wrong. And so she is taking an active decision in life to not cause the suffering she herself has experienced.

All the faith leaders I have interviewed so far have discussed the need to live with uncertainty, to accept the deep complexities of life, and not to slip into black-and-white thinking…

Buddhist Abbot, Khen Rinpoche, Geshe Tashi Tsering [03:52 ]
[laughing] Yes, within that particular negative or positive situation there are also many other things in there, it is never completely black and white. But we tend to interpret to ourselves, or to the others, good and bad, right and wrong. We don't see, we don't think that between those two, there's huge grey space, and that in that grey space, we have lots of things to learn.

Sarah Buckmaster [04:21]
That was Buddhist Abbot, Geshe Tashi who I interviewed for my second episode – and Christian Bishop Angela Berners-Wilson agreed:

Christian Bishop, Angela Berners-Wilson [04:33]
“I think most people try to be good and lead their lives in ways that don't hurt others. But certainly in the whole world, I know it's very, very complex, and there's a lot of grey areas.”

 Sarah Buckmaster
And I’ve just finished an interview with Hindu Pandita Indrani Rampersaad which will be live in the coming weeks, and she spoke passionately about the lack of polarities within Hinduism as well…

Dr Pandita Indrani Rampersad
"What is it that you are about? - and that is not black and white. One thing you understand about Hinduism - it's not polarities. we have great difficulties telling you polarities"

Sarah Buckmaster
It’s understandable that we’d be drawn to binary thinking; 

In a world of over 7 billion people, we are bombarded with an incomprehensible number of different opinions and viewpoints, and thanks to the internet, we now have access to so many of these – it’s an inconceivable amount of information and datapoints. 

In that constant state of overwhelm – whether it’s conscious or not – we start to oversimplify things to make the world seem manageable… binary thinking is a tool that makes us feel as if we’re in control. It provides an illusion of safety – we believe it’s an anchor in an ocean of uncertainty. 

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[05:54]
The problem is, binary thinking is fiction, it’s a temporary escapism that can cause harm to ourselves and others. Rather than an anchor, it’s like a blindfold, blinding us to connections, opportunities and potentials. 

The one thing we can safely say about this life is that it’s full of change and uncertainty – and it’s complicated; we’re complicated. To try and work it all out, to resist the complexity and try putting things into separate boxes is an endless task which will sap you of your energy and spirit.

[Podcast Theme Music, fades in to play in background]

Our minds and opinions can and should change depending on context, nuance, and the natural ebbs and flow of life. 

Dr Pandita Indrani Rampersad [06:37]
"Well, it's adapting to suit the circumstances that you are in"

Sarah Buckmaster
So, for our challenge this month, let’s give certainty a rest for a few weeks.  

My invitation to you all for this month is to find a subject where you can consider two opposing views, and practice sitting in that grey area of uncertainty, resisting the urge to jump to one side of the issue or argument. It doesn’t have to be a huge area – we don’t have to go straight for the right-wing, left-wing political sphere, but do pick something that stretches you.

Let’s remind ourselves that it is perfectly okay, and often the most beautiful option to be unsure, to not know... as we go about our lives over the next few weeks, let’s remind ourselves on a daily basis that nothing is completely black and white – (even the black-0and-white panda has a pink tongue!)

[07:32]
So, go out into the grey – and enjoy! And, as always, let me know how you get on…

And, if you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more episodes and interviews exploring the question of what it means to be a good person in today’s world, then please consider hitting the subscribe button – and if you have time and liked what you heard then I’d love you to leave a review and share with your friends. Thank you for listening - and if you have any questions or suggestions, please email me anytime at sarah@howtobegood.co.uk. I’d love to hear from you!  

[Podcast Theme Music, fades out]

Transcribed by Sarah Buckmaster