There is nothing incongruous in being inconsistent or, even, contradictory.

It seems that people, (the media!), expect you to disseminate a solid body of opinion that, somehow, reflects your identity, values, soul and persona. If you, suddenly, grow a moustache, all your acquaintances will demand an explanation and your closest family will worry that you are going through some unspeakable crisis. Not many decisions are so damaging to our rulers than the mockable U-turn, and, generally speaking, it is perceived as a sign of weakness and definite confusion.

However, I think that confused is not being able to re-examine a situation because you already made a previous decision, particularly if you made it public. Having a credo is, as the Latin root implies, a matter of belief. And there is a degree of slavery in that, not just imposed by an external body or the need of belonging to any of the current social groups, but, more worryingly, by oneself. When posed with the question again one will not allow oneself to have an interior dialogue only for the benefit of being consistent and because you already said it, dare they not to question your integrity! Aha! You've won the battle!

Obviously, there is also a pragmatical reason for us to conduct ourselves in such a way: it is so much easier.

Now, the question is why would anybody want it easy? Being contented is the most confused aspiration. I want to be happy, ecstatic, doomed, in hell, in heaven, I want to be every single second, I cherish my pain and my joy, I respect your abyss, your beauty, your nobility, the chasm between us, our common ground.

But, my friends, I am rather confused. Or so it seems. Every time I look at something I (or the Dice) decide my positioning towards it. In a matter of seconds I adore mushrooms and then detest them, I loooove you and then drop you in the most callous way conceivable to humanity. I will cry my heart out because on a TV advert Marmaduke Isambard won the lottery and, then, I will feel nothing when you confide in me and tell me that you never got around to say goodbye to your father, who waited for weeks, in vain, to bless you before dying alone. And, you see? I am other now, because - I realise - these last lines I have just written I completely and thoroughly disagree with...

Was I lying? No. Am I now? No. Both versions of me were truthful while I was them. Do you like that t-shirt in the shop-window? Yes, you say. Do you now? Erm....  How many times, insecure at an exhibition, you asked yourself, puzzled, do I like that? You could have chosen either, it is irrelevant, but don't contradict yourself! Brush your teeth in the morning, today you are beautiful, even happy! Twenty four hours later you weigh at least three stone more, says the individual looking at you, with the toothbrush in their mouth.

I am capable of grand gestures, of true, philanthropic acts, of murder, of betrayal, my thoughts are the noblest, are debased, I really, really love you (do you believe me now?), I have denied you three times.

You wonder, is that not tiring? Say, are you feeling ok?, concerned.

I say to you, no, it is not tiring, it is exciting! It is a bit like travelling - forgive my being so prosaic - you learn not to panic. You learn so many other lives that you have lived, that you will never live, lives that lasted a raindrop's life, terrifying lives. Is it uncomfortable never knowing anything? It is actually liberating, it is fun, there is no construct that holds you like a scaffolding, you are free. Do not be afraid, you will be all right.

But now you are going to ask the difficult question. Well, yes. I think I can actually make sense of it all. I suppose there is a thread that ties all my selves together. And that is my ethical convictions. I know I could kill, spit, soil my underwear, execute mosquitoes with my pestilent breath, but I never found one of mine feeling comfortable with these choices.

Ideologies are abject, I cultivate Ideas. And my ethical values are strong, are solid and do not require any Credo.

AMEN

[...]

All the readers go now together and travel across and along the earth to captivate humans with The One's teachings, written on marble. In Suliman, A.M., Schiettecatte, K.J. and Swaminathan, O.O. (2012). Where we would be if we were not here. Int J Div Ecc 42: 175-176.