An Expert at Fence Sitting

I think of it as balance, but some people would call it fence sitting.

As a young child, I developed an interesting skill.  I could defer or redirect animosity around.  I could avoid making enemies by not positioning myself in opposition to anyone.
I wasn't perfect at it.  Universal acceptance is a bit too much to ask.  But I successfully avoided ever being involved in a fight among schoolmates.  I didn't even get into little spats with friends.  Fellow students were often even a little protective of me.

Now, this is kind of unusual, because I was quite proud to be a nerd.  I was a little stuck up snob who thought I was smarter than everyone else.  This should have made me quite the target of animosity.  But I really didn't think that being smart made me more important or more valuable than others.  I made friends easily and avoided conflict.  (None of this applies to life at home.  Siblings excel at teasing and needling their brothers and sisters in ways others just never can.)

I still don't like to take sides.  Taking one side means rejecting the other side, and I'm a bit uncomfortable with that.  If it has to do with some academic or scientific argument, I can get all in the debate.  But hot button political issues are too divisive for me.  When taking sides virtually requires the deriding of the other side, I'm not likely to take an extreme stand.  I'd rather just take a firm position closer to the center.