When I was introducing alternative investments to a former client and now friend, she said half jokingly: “Hmm, it seems that I’m a fan of everything alternative now, from alternative medicine to alternative investments!”
I agree that Herbal-Pal® brand had to go under “alternative medicine” category just because that’s how officials categorize the natural medicine and integrative medicine — at least before (as I hope that) it becomes more prevalent some day in future, Self-Directed IRA and many quality investment opportunities go under “alternative investments” for a similar reason.
If we check the dictionary, “alternative” simply refers to “one of two or more things, courses, or propositions to be chosen, so there is no weight on either. However, in practice and in some’s minds, “alternative” is a word used with connotation to describe something that’s not mainstream. For example, even with massive success in the scale of Airbnb, up to a few months ago, Airbnb’s operations head publicly remarked that hosting still isn’t mainstream. That’s not unsurprising given some resistance I have personally observed in family and friends. Mainstream implies majority vote, which can be driven by information dominant in mass media, and by both “wisdom of the crowd” and “stupidity of the crowd”.
I personally disagree that “Truth always rests with the minority”, because “always” is too strong, yet I do agree that “Truth can well rest with the minority, just as it can rest with anyone”. Being an independent thinker, being able to leverage both the visible and the invisible, the tangible and the intangible, is more important than whether we go with or go against flow.
Do you prefer alternative or mainstream? I am neutral on either. The bottom line is: I embrace everything truthful, everything in line with God’s will: good, pleasing and perfect. And if that happens to fall under “alternative”, I would love to embrace it, too.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” — Romans 12:2 ESV
