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The Definition of Fringe

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There are some words in the English language that we toss about as if we really know what they mean. When someone uses the word “fringe” it has to be examined in context to determine what meaning is associated with the word. In a phrase without obvious context, it is left up to the listener to determine if the connotation is positive or negative. “Bob was always on the fringe.” Taken on face value, Bob could be the good guy if he was outside of the norm in a group of bad guys, or he could be the bad guy from the perspective of his good-guy buddies. In human resources it is always important to be clear in our communications and in the world of social media we sometimes abbreviate our character-limited messages to the point that we actually communicate nothing. Without facial expressions and body language to help us understand the meaning of words and phrases, definitions may not be clear.

Online communications depends on clarity of the message in order to collaborate with others on new ideas and to find answers to complex problems. Technology has pushed the envelope of collective intelligence to the point of giving us infinite resources to float ideas and gain knowledge. Even when we are getting honest responses, our crap filters must be fine tuned to weed out answers that do not work within the context of our search. Wikipedia has found it necessary to publish a definition of fringe theories. “A theory that is not broadly supported by scholarship in its field must not be given undue weight in an article about a mainstream idea and reliable sources must be cited that affirm the relationship of the marginal idea to the mainstream idea… ” Well damn! Wiki-dipping for answers means that I won’t go outside of “normal” unless I also follow the citations. So students looking for the easy answer need to go further to find the real answer.

A more serious caution than just skimming for answers in online data should be waking up in our brains. We have the unique ability as no other generation in history to communicate, share, and learn together. When we blindly accept polarized opinions or spout off sound bite rhetoric about issues, there is a low probability that we will get it right. Everything is not right or wrong. Somebody told me that they read in a book that there are fifty shades of grey, but that is probably just someone’s opinion. When we go online there is key research that we must do to form our ideas and generate understanding. Sometimes we need to follow a fringe and sometimes they lead us astray. Considering the source makes it real.

This is the introductory article in a series of five on exploring the fringe. Hopefully this will stimulate comments on this site and in our daily lives when we suddenly discover that we are being fringed by somebody… or have become the fringe.

Exploring the Fringe

Image Credit: 123RF Stock Photo

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