Met with a similar dilemma, I've watched a number of people make a variety of choices. Is one choice better than another? I'm not sure about that, but I can easily see that the choices made have a lot to do with the lives we've lived, the jobs we have, the families we love and our current capacity with respect to resources, energy, time and need.
In any situation, we will see individuals react in a variety of ways to same situations. As an educator, I saw this all the time as a host of educators in one building reacted in a variety of ways to the situations that existed, problems that arose and the evident potential. Was one way better than another? Actually, the truth was that the variety of reactions and responses altogether typically created a just-right, best-possible response. When we allowed for many varied responses, we actually were able to fulfill more needs and do better work.
So as I think about a situation at hand and the many ways the people in my midst are reacting to it, I think our diversity of responses, overall, are creating a best possible solution. Yet, that's not always the case. What makes our diversity of responses an overall positive response is that we share the same big picture vision for the situation. When a diversity of responses typically does not result in an overall right and good response is when the vision differs in substantial, dangerous ways. For example, there are currently a diversity of responses to the gun issue in American society, and this diversity is not helping us to save lives. I believe this is true because there is a fundamental difference when it comes to the vision--for some, saving and enriching lives is the common theme while for others there seems to be a survival-for-some theme instead. Those embracing a "survival-for-some" theme appear not to care about large groups of Americans including school children, those in vulnerable neighborhoods, and those that don't look or live like them. This difference of overall vision is dangerous and leads to ineffective, deadly results.
So as I think of the many groups I live and work with in life, I want to retain respect for the diversity of choices made with the knowledge that a diversity of responses tied together with a similar vision is okay. I also want to acknowledge that a diversity of choices can be dangerous when the central vision differs in deadly and hurtful ways. In these circumstances, we have some big vision work to do, the kind of work that helps us solidify the central themes in humane, positive, enriching and uplifting ways.
Onward.