Throughout human history, binary thinking has tended to only bring us conflict: Christian vs. Muslim; North vs. South; Democrat vs. Republican; black vs. white; us vs. them. It's often a choice between A or B, one or two. If there is a middle ground, it's dismissed as the coward's way out, a compromise no one wants. Sometimes there really is no middle ground; take the choice between life and death ... unless you're undead. If any of you readers are vampires or zombies, let me know. I may be (cautiously) interested in interviewing you for a future article. Getting back on track, staying in the middle doesn't necessarily mean being indecisive or cowardly. For me, it means you make an effort to maintain balance in life and try to avoid excess in anything you do. It means knowing how to think objectively, knowing when taking action could do more harm than good. To put it another way, think like a Vulcan and be logical when being emotional isn't appropriate.

Spock doesn't move from the center.

Politically, it means distancing yourself from the factionalism that has become endemic in American society. The fact we're not engaged in a civil war means we're not nearly as divided as we were right before the Civil War started, but we aren't listening to each other. Too often we're choosing to ostracize people who don't think exactly like ourselves. Loyalty to one's party too often trumps (not a pun) the needs of the people, so instead of getting any real work done, the two parties waste time obstructing each other in the House and Senate. Unfortunately, I don't believe unity is going to be a political reality any time soon, seeing as how none of our current presidential candidates are even remotely centrist. In Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, we have two of the most extreme candidates in recent memory. On the one hand, we have a self-proclaimed Socialist with some nice ideals, but whose fantastical policies would send us further into debt. On the other hand, we have a thin-skinned demagogue who feeds off of racial strife and wants to shake down our allies for protection money. Plus, there's that wall that could also run up the national debt. Hillary Clinton is closer to the middle, but she has such a polarizing personality. There's no viable third party that could actually win an election, but I'd settle for a candidate who was concerned more with solutions than partisan rhetoric, regardless of whichever party they're in.

Considering the thoughts, feelings and needs of others is a good thing, but it shouldn't mean sacrificing your individual identity and joining a hive-mind.