The Road is Wide

From the Rider Marseille Tarot, Temperance; from the Ostinato Oracle, Key:

From a psychological perspective, extremism is something broader. It’s a state of motivational imbalance — a mental tunnel vision where one goal, belief, or identity becomes so dominant that everything else fades from view. — Arie W. Kruglanski

Extremism is a capacity we all have, an evolutionary part of our biology that allows us to mobilize in times of crisis. In today's world, it often shows up as a quest for significance, purpose or identity. Commitment and passion aren't necessary bad traits, but when our drive eclipses our relationships, health and joy, that's a red flag. Our foot slips off the stone of reason into the rush of feeling and emotion. In music, a Key is the major or minor scale around which a piece of music revolves, almost like a gravitational force. Other notes move away from then back toward it, making the music interesting. This notation reminds us that the road of moderation is wide, allowing us to move away from the middle without reaching the edges of extremism.