When I was younger, it was easy to see the world in black and white. Things were good or bad. Decisions were easily made. I was full of self-confidence and quick to state my opinions to the world around me.

There was right and there was wrong in every situation. My mind had no eyes to see the gradients that lay between. Indignation would fill me when people would try to explain the subtleties of a scenario. Why couldn’t these people reach a simple conclusion?

As I’ve grown older, I have become one of those people. Now, when a topic comes up in conversation, I try to consider it from all sides. A recent example is when a community member asked if any of the people in Discord would be willing to leave their children for a new partner.

A question like this is easy to say it would be impossible for me to ever abandon my kids! This is the only correct answer to the question, right? I mean, what type of person would abandon their children solely to gain a new partner?

Of course, there are always multiple factors involved when making huge life decisions such as this. It would never be a case of simply choosing a new partner over continuing a relationship with your children. I’m sure that the other parent of the child(ren) also played a major role in this decision.

I thought about this question for an extended period of time before I gave my reply. My reply was this, “I don’t think I would, but you never know until you are faced with that decision and all the circumstances that lead you to that point.”

I hate to say this, but life is mostly gray areas. As I grow older, I see fewer and fewer instances of a clear and concise, easy answer to a given problem. Take the time to consider things from more than one angle and try to keep yourself open to differing viewpoints, as this will help you communicate effectively.