The morally ambiguous world defines those in the classroom

For the past two years or so, I – and maybe we – have been haunted by a term that never… For the past two years or so, I – and maybe we – have been haunted by a term that never fails to complicate things that seem so simple. It’s evoked in countless situations, undermining many facts you thought you understood, forcing you to realize that you’re really not so sure. The term “moral ambiguity” can be troublesome, which is why so many people would rather not consider it. But like it nor not, your individual take on the morally ambiguous is important, and your response to it may be the most important thing you take from college.

While I had been exposed to the concept before, I didn’t really take an interest in it until reading an article back in January. I remember it because it annoyed me. The writer had taken the stance that “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” had achieved such terrific box office success because it appealed to those who had been traumatized by the moral ambiguity of post-Sept. 11, 2001, America. The story, this writer argued, is warmly received because good and bad are easy to separate.

I’d be more inclined to trace the film’s success to beautiful landscape, epic storyline, likable characters and attractive actors. But the point of the article – even if this case was just an easy in-route to getting published – remains notable.

Many of us grew up with a Cops ‘n’ Robbers, Cowboys ‘n’ Indians view of morality. The good delight in being good, the bad are contentedly bad, and the conflict between the two makes the world turn. But the picture gets blurry when we realize the robber is stealing to feed his family and the Indians are defending their homes. But then someone accuses the robber of being a drunk and the Indians of being aggressors, and there follows a barrage of he-said, she-said that makes you want to walk away from the whole thing.

You spend the first 12 years of your education being taught that things exist in a certain way, and the last four hearing that the first 12 weren’t really being straight with you. If high school is defined by traditional views, college is just the opposite. Here we have revisionist everything – histories from the view of the conquered, foreign policy from the oppressed, economics from the poor, North America from South America, Prospero from Caliban, Britney from Justin. For every commentator who says “this is,” there is another who says “this is not.”

There have been times in my own college career when I wondered if it was really worth it. I was devoting four years of my prime to the idea that I will make more money sometime in the future. Now I realize that it’s not only worthwhile, but a necessary step to achieving true potential. College is part facts and figures, part social development, part delaying the inevitable. But I’d say that the most valuable aspect of schooling deals with a generalization about specifics.

The world is consistently complex and filled with people who will consistently try to make it simple. But while broad statements may have held water in the past – and to be honest, they will always hold water in some arenas – true leaders are those who can look past them to find the real story. They are the ones who hear both sides, note the confusion, research the specific, intimate details and make a decision that they are willing to stand by. College is the camp where such people are trained, the ones who can cite the specifics.

How you spend – or have spent – your college years is entirely up to you. Some students fight for the 4.0, others fight at bars, and still more take a peacefully uneventful approach. But all of them are similar in that they want to make their academic careers count for something, whether it be recognition from the honors college or an “Animal House”-style legacy to ride on through the cubicle years.

But regardless of approach or accomplishments, you may graduate with some satisfaction if you have learned how cut through the ambiguity and feel confident that you know what you know. In an uncertain world, the strength belongs to those who are certain.

Eric Miller is the outgoing opinions editor, looking forward to one more year of hashing out moral questions at Pitt. He can be reached at miller@pittnews.com.