I'm a moderate and I find that people in the middle tend to be the most sane, and the fact that the "sides" are so annoyed by them is case in point of how polarized and ridiculous the "sides" get.
I just did and find that it's the quote I incorrectly attributed to J.C. in my answer. Still, since "I and the father are one" I guess my attribution was correct after all, so I'll let it stand.
Most people are centrist or moderate and it has nothing to do with fence siting. All's it means you share different views on different issues. Some of those views might typically aligned with your nations right and some others might be more typical of your nations left.
I can't say as a whole I support the left or the right in my country. Each is right and each is wrong, or employs methods I find faulty for goals I support. That makes me a moderate/ centrist in this typically two sided division. Depending on the individual issue I may slide towards the typically leftist side or the typically right side. Each has some merit and each has it's share of bs when you get into the far reaches of each.
Man let me tell you. It's hard these days. Even if you have a varying take on each issue and are typically centrist chit has gotten so out of hand and insane that you get pushed into one side.
Actually Shane Smith was talking about this the other day on Joe Rogan's podcast and made some excellent points about it. In case it interest you. The first 45min. or so pertains a lot to this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lAv_JQtF-8&t=2196s
Im not talking about where our inclinations fall. Right.or left. I have views that are considered very right wingish and others that are not. And yet, there are other issues that I feel ambivalent about. I can understand that. And that's fine. But I am talking about folks that never stand for anything and agree with everything. I don't know if that is actually possible. Aren't they just blades of grass in the wind? Do they just shy away from conflict, or do they really, really, have no opinion one way or.another. This is not a.loaded question.
Ahh I gotcha. Yeah that's something else entirely.
I think it's a spectrum of both. Some people just aren't passionate about anything enough to take much action. Others are too confused to know which way to go. Some just aren't comfortable with conflict in general. Then there are instances where people might feel passionate about something but don't have the mental tools and resources to make any kind of stand for them that they feel is worth them taking time for. Plus when any of us are new to an idea we tend to be neutral to both sides since everything seems compelling to our ignorance of it. We should always start off from neutral until we become familiar to something.
That's real good Glis, There's some ideas in there I need to look over, but I find it easy to.agree with everything you said. I got some new thinking out of that one. Thanks.
Political? The true believers support their party through thick and thin no matter what evidence of their malfeasance is presented. When the hysteria dies down we'll be able to thank President Trump for adding "alternative facts" to the lexicon because all political parties indulge in them. I'm what's called in Oz "a swinging voter". Although my normal preferences are to the left I vote for the right when it seems more appropriate. That probably makes me a moderate, though certainly not neutral.
Society? Somebody once pointed out that to those who think life is a comedy; to those who feel it's a tragedy. In the terms of your question, I can be as exasperated with the crusaders as with the scoffers. I'm the guy who can usually find something to laugh about.
Religion? That's been covered in some of the other answers. The late J.C. said (to give him a modern twist), "You're neither hot nor cold: you nauseate me." If a person claims to be a Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or a Calathumpian Hebrew, an outsider might expect him to dedicate his life to that religion. In fact, the majority of religious people just go through the motions as befits their individual personalities and are unfairly labelled hypocrites. (Which is not at all unfair if they're the kind who expect other people to be what they are not.)
Personal? During our lifetimes we develop many interests. Some stay with us for the journey, other things keep us company for a while then fall away. Maybe this is the place where neutrals and moderates are most at risk for they miss the opportunity to excel in the very fields that would give them most joy and would make their lives richer.
Yeah yeah but you have plainly enumerated all the things.you feel about. You know what they are.and you say them. And that's.fine. At no point you said, " my name is D, and I don't feel strongly about this or that, huuuuh!?" Do you see? Perhaps I should start by establishing a definition on what being a moderate or.a.neutral is, no? Am I explaining myself right?
Having seen quite a lot of extreme opinions re the American election .. I can sorta see an argument for moderates... at least you wouldn't get the two opposites slagging each other off..
Benedict Arnold 