The better side of the quarter

Which is the better side of the Quarter?

Do you prefer heads? Some people like seeing George Washington. Others say they like knowing the year it was made. Other people say that this side is luckier. 

Or do you prefer tails? People say that the eagle is majestic. Still others say they like the inscription. There are many people who argue that it’s this side that’s the lucky side. 

So how do you decide? Which is the best side? Do you have a side that you’d defend? 

What if we thought about it differently? If you only had heads…or only had tails…would you even have a quarter? No, right? You’d only have a piece of metal that was imprinted on one side. It might look like a quarter if you held it one way, but if you looked at the whole thing, you’d realize you only had part of a whole. Most importantly you wouldn’t have a quarter. You’d have a worthless piece of metal. For you to have a quarter that’s worth anything, you need both sides.

This is what “dialectics” teaches us. We need both sides of anything for it to truly have value. Two things can be true at once. Both sides of a thing have value, but it’s when you have them together that you can really see its true worth. 

So next time you’re in an argument, or discovering something, or thinking you know everything, or think your view is the only way, or think you know the solution to someone else’s problem…take a minute, and think about their view and the value of the other side of the quarter.