Is it really “all or nothing”? Well, maybe sometimes …

Heroes in the Seaweed
9 min readMay 28, 2023

“Give me absolute control/over every living soul/and lie beside me, baby/that’s an order,” Leonard Cohen, The Future

There is a certain turn of mind, I’m sure you’ve met it, which suggests that “all or nothing” stances are the only truthful, authentic, or even courageous way to go.

It might be in politics, where it leads to the kinds of brinkmanship that risk utter catastrophe, unless we get the other team to back down. It might be in our personal life, when the same absolutism characterises how we treat those dearest to us.

Many of us seem inescapably drawn to those who present themselves as ‘strong men’, who advertise their unwillingness to compromise, as if this were the foundation stone of virtue itself. Very well.

I remember being on an email list once, where people were discussing an ancient philosophy, and could it be revived today? Soon enough, purists were emerging, producing lists of 8 or 10 things everyone who would lay claim to the school’s name would have to abide by. Otherwise, they were insufficiently vigilant, insufficiently strong, insufficiently pure, or just insufficiently informed.

I left the list, as I’m sure many others did. It’s our way, or the highway. I hit the road, preferring more open horizons.

There is a kind of purity about all or nothing stances, I get it. We know where we stand, or…

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Heroes in the Seaweed
Heroes in the Seaweed

Written by Heroes in the Seaweed

"There are heroes in the seaweed", L. Cohen (vale). Several name, people, etc. changes later, the blog of Aus. philosopher-social theorist Matt Sharpe.

Responses (8)

What are your thoughts?

Hmm, Like Leonard knew in your opening quote, all or nothing and trying to control are really not healthy and are futile.
What is strong -for me, is more akin to vulnerability, -staying alive and open (without indulging in victimhood) while we…...

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Caligula was soon enough making light of incest, waging war on the sea (another parallel with Quin Shi Huang in his decline) and even had his horse appointed senator. Why not, after all...

It's fascinating how people are often drawn to absolutism, believing that unwavering positions reflect strength and authenticity. However, as you pointed out, such rigidity can lead to detrimental consequences in both personal and political realms.

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very nice article! I love the topic, and it is nicely constructed. "all or nothing" does not allow for diversity, which is a natural good. Here is a brief take on the subject in the context of a garden. I think that it has relevance here...https://medium.com/@petersassi1/why-a-garden-8f98e9e606ff

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