Are you a Moderate?

Everyone thinks they're a moderate. You think you're a moderate. Even if you admit that you're Right, or Left, you still think that yours is a position close to the center, with other viewpoints ranging far to the right and far to the left. "America is full of Centrists, more than you realize", some politicians are now trumpeting. Well, of course. We all think we're reasonable. And except for the most extreme of extremists, there are people on both sides of the political spectrum.

But it really comes down to an even deeper truth: we still think the world is centered around ourselves. Have you taken a look from someone else's perspective? Have you really tried to understand where someone else is coming from, or why they view the world the way they do?

Take a moment, think of someone whose position you've criticized lately - democrat, republican, iraqi, american, israeli - someone whose views you oppose. Now drop your mental guard for a minute, and honestly try to understand their viewpoint. Don't raise defenses, don't try to rationalize or condone, just try to understand.

There, feel even more Moderate now, don't we?