Many people like to think of the world in black and white. “I am this therefore can’t be that.”
Best example of that for me was growing up. I was born in Turkey. So I was born a Turk. The prevalent way of thinking around me was – you are Turk, therefore you are to live and die in Turkey.
That is how most people live. They don’t change cities, countries, nationalities, or god forbid even religions. Sadly, they don’t change their ways of thinking that come from older generations.
Albert Einsten has a good quote on this way of thinking.
“Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.”
– Albert Einstein
But then there are some people who think out of the box. They see the shades of grey in every situation. They know nothing is absolute and nothing is permanent. There is a nuance to almost everything. And everything changes and shifts.
There is a great quote for that as well.
“You only are free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great…”
– Maya Angelou
I believe one has to be able to see the shades of grey to be truly free. The more shades one sees, the freer they will feel.
Kerim Baran 