The Fruits of Staying Neutral in the Triangle

A recent New York Times article about Barack Obama’s time at the University of Chicago Law school got me thinking about triangles.

The article talks about how Senator Obama would listen carefully to the two sides of an argument (the base of the triangle), but stay neutral to those two sides (as the top of the triangle).

Early in the article Richard Epstein, a former colleague is quoted:
“His entire life, as best I can tell, is one in which he’s always been a thoughtful listener and questioner, but he’s never stepped up to the plate and taken full swings.”

And later on the article states:
When two fellow faculty members asked him to support a controversial antigang measure, allowing the Chicago police to disperse and eventually arrest loiterers who had no clear reason to gather, Mr. Obama discussed the issue with unusual thoughtfulness, they say, but gave little sign of who should prevail.

A couple of things strike me here.

The first is the potential power of being that neutral presence between two opposing – and even polarized – parties. In being a skilled neutral presence and a good listener, one could bring the discussion to another level by giving both sides a generous audience with which to clarify their thoughts.

Is a heated argument really helped by having more people to argue one side or the other with added eloquence or conviction? I doubt it – give me a great listener any day and the process has a much better chance of moving forward.

The second thing that strikes me is that Senator Obama’s neutrality is regarded with a certain disdain. As if it’s a sin to be neutral on an issue. Yet I wonder if taking stands comes at a cost, and as such is an endeavor to take on carefully and intentionally. “Pick your battles” if you will

I could see how such a positioning could be seen as frustrating for an intellectual, and yet be very pragmatic. It leaves me to wonder if I too readily take stands, especially on polarized issues, and that what cost. Perhaps I can benefit from more often being neutral in the triangle.