Jonathan Meyer.

Something that’s been on my mind this week has been more of a philosophical question: the balance between being principled and holding strong ideological views versus being adaptive and responsive to the world around you.

By no means am I an expert in philosophy, nor do I have the life experience to hand out advice. But, as always, I have my two cents, and I know there are a few folks out there who let me share what I think once a week. So today, let’s tackle a bit more of an out-there topic.

It might help to explain what I’m talking about by imagining a spectrum. On one side, you have the hardliner–someone who believes what they believe and refuses to change their mind in the slightest. On the other, you have someone who believes in nothing at all and simply changes with the whims and wants of whoever or whatever happens to cross their path.

Is that an oversimplification? Absolutely.

But by establishing the extremes, we can take a look at the middle, where I think most of us actually live.

There are certain things people rarely budge on. Morality. Family values. The core beliefs that take years to cultivate. Those are the pillars that make us who we are.

Then there’s the more pragmatic side of life–the part of us that adapts to the situation, compromises when appropriate, and sometimes simply tries to get along with other people. The people-pleasers, if you will.

A fun example just came to mind.

If I’m ordering a taco, I’m asking for it without tomatoes because, ideologically speaking, I don’t like tomatoes. I don’t enjoy the taste, I don’t like the texture, and I have no interest in changing my mind.

On the other hand, a pragmatic decision right now might be ordering it without lettuce. Given the current concerns surrounding lettuce, I don’t really feel like gambling on some of the worst stomach issues a person can experience.

It’s a small example, but it gets at the point.

Life is often a give-and-take between the things we hold to be fundamentally true and the choices we make because they’re practical in the moment. It’s the balance between staying true to yourself while adapting to the circumstances around you.

Did you notice that in my example I led with the ideological belief that I don’t like tomatoes?

I think that’s important.

At our core, we need to stand for something. We all value something. Without those pillars keeping us anchored, I’m not sure much of anything would really matter.

Being pragmatic comes later.

To me, it’s like the fine-grit sandpaper at the end of a woodworking project. The hard work has already been done by building your values. Pragmatism is simply the process of smoothing the rough edges, refining those values, and learning how to apply them in a world full of people who don’t always think exactly like you.

If we never refine what we believe or meet people where they are, we’d probably be pretty difficult people to be around.

One of humanity’s greatest strengths is our ability to communicate. None of us sees the world exactly the same way, yet somehow we’re able to build communities, solve problems, and live alongside one another. That only works because we’re willing to find a bit of common ground.

It’s interesting to watch this play out.

As a local reporter, I see plenty of decisions and situations that I have opinions about. And if you’re wondering, no–I won’t be sharing them in a newspaper column. If you catch me on the right day and ask in person, maybe I’ll tell you. Maybe I won’t.

The way people think, compromise, and interact with one another has always fascinated me.

I could ramble for another thousand words on this topic, but I think I’ll leave it here.

Having ideas and values at your core is important. I think it’s fundamental to being an individual. But if we’re never willing to let those beliefs exist alongside the ideas of the people around us, does that really accomplish much?

That’s not for me to decide.

Just a little food for thought this week. Though I’m no philosopher, I’m just Jonathan.