Villains often assume and impose false dichotomies upon their victims to justify their ways. For example, there is a rather central assertion in this series, that there are only two kinds of people — those as prey and those as predators. In other words, eat or be eaten, bully or be bullied… you get the idea. A big problem with classification using polar opposites is that it forces hard division, even when there might be no clear segregation possible.
False (and thus forced) dichotomies omit the grey in between, that is neither black nor white, and that which might even transcend the whole spectrum in question. For example, it is possible to both not predate upon others, and not be predated upon by others. And there is also the possibility of prey becoming predators, and predators becoming prey, with roles on a sliding scale of degree for different situations. Not all monsters are monstrous all the time. Victims might victimise at times too.
There are also many other related pairs of potentials to choose from… to be more generous or greedy, compassionate or hateful, wise or deluded. What will be the mix chosen? What virtues and vices will be dominant? In the end, (beginning and in between), one of key dichotomies that really matter, that leads in resolving all such dilemmas, is that of ‘right and wrong’. Especially when matters are convoluted, particularly ‘grey’ and challenging to discern the upright from the corrupted, it is all the more crucial then, to be as ‘white’ (i.e. right) as possible, as ‘un-black’ (i.e. ‘un-wrong’) as we can.
