We hear people say "this AND that" to communicate the importance of duality. Holding opposing values in tension is a great example.
For individuals, contradiction often appears in different voices. "This AND that" raises questions inside us to tap into a deeper self for resolution. One way to look at the contradictions is they are often the results of self-disconnection. We lost connection with our deepest needs.
When opposing values emerge in an organization or community, conflicts arise. Holding both values in tension needs to serve a goal: Which value serves who we say we are and what we commit to doing, and which value derails who we say we are and what we commit to our people? Between a leader who serves people and an opportunist who exploits, there is no "AND" but "OR"— the choice we need to make.
Without asking these questions and simply believing that holding opposing values is the way to go, we not only oversimplify the challenge we face but also become stuck in a rigid mentality that "AND" has to work.
After all, both "AND" and "OR" are strategies. When evaluating strategies, only one thing matters: whether they work or not.
