Contradictory Positions

So far I've discussed the importance of family, filial piety, and the intrinsic evils of divorce. But I've also described dysfunctional families, established the condemnability of bad parenting, and admitted the necessity of divorce in extreme situations.

It seems contradictory to uphold something in one post, only to later take the opposite aspect and decry it. If family is so important, why do I decry certain family forms over others? If filial piety is so virtuous, why do I scathingly blame parents for maligned children? If marriage is so important and divorce so evil, how can I make exceptions for certain situations?

My purpose in writing these posts is primarily to describe causality so that the reader can assess the implications and destinies of his actions. If someone is considering divorce, for example, he will need to weigh the dangers of staying together (for example, exposing the child to hostility or even violence) against the dangers of separation (for example, the child loses a father figure or mother figure). Each situation is different, so we can never say that "divorce is always the wrong choice" or vice versa.

Same thing goes with family type. Perhaps a domestic-atomistic hybrid is better than having no family at all. Perhaps neglectful parents should be honored via filial piety anyway, though it might not be the most 'just' course of action. Or maybe filial piety should be disregarded in the name of cultivating oneself. If a daughter needs to resent her neglectful and corrupted mother in the process of growing into a better person, then this period of resentment is for the better.

Or even my post on appearance. Some tattoos, such as the infamous "tramp stamps" are truly unjustifiable, but others actually might have the potential for fulfilling the idea that appearance should be used to inspire others toward greater change. For example, a friend of mine has the words "praxis" and "theory" tattooed on her left and right wrists. I still cringe knowing that her body has been altered in some way (which I do even with 'normal' pierced ears), but her tattoos certainly fit the notion that appearance should be geared toward inspiration.

The idea is not to establish hard and fast rules regarding everything, but to deepen people's understandings of what's really going on, and what's to come as a result. Because only with a deeper understanding of reality can we make better decisions when dealing with the ever-present complexity of human life.