If you want the truth to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle between ‘for’ and ‘against’ is the mind’s worst disease.
—Sent-ts’an, c. 700 C.E.
I was watching TED Talks last night and this one gave me something to think about: The moral roots of liberals and conservatives with Jonathan Haidt.
In the interest of full disclosure, change doesn’t really scare me. I do appreciate the importance of “change” versus “stability.” I think there needs to be a yin and yang between liberals and conservative. I think that EVERYONE truly believes they are correct in their beliefs, even when their beliefs conflict with their neighbors.
I believe that the majority of humans are good. I try to empathize with other people. I like trying new food. I watch videos like TED Talks, videos that question my views. I read a wide variety of books. And honestly, it doesn’t bother me when my pets think of me as an equal. LOL
I don’t think we can force people to accept change. I don’t think we can “reason” away acceptance. I look at social media and it seems like both liberals and conservatives are afraid. Fear leads to anger and bitterness, which leads to more fear and a divided society. The Internet has people who agree with whatever opinion we might have…even if we’re wrong. Seriously, there are people who believe that the Earth is flat!
I’m troubled by what I see. I’ve lived and worked with a diverse group of individuals for most of my adult life. I used to joke that going to work was like being part of the United Nations. Over the years, I’ve learned that people are more alike than different. But, I think, as a society, most of us don’t meet people who might be seen as “other” on a day-to-day basis. It’s much easier to demonize people we don’t know. It takes effort to talk to people from a different culture or background.
I’ve been cautious with how I spend my time on social media. I think it can be a source of good and place to spread hate. It saddens me to see so much division within my country. I’m not expecting anyone to change the way they see the world by sharing my rambling words and a couple of videos, but I think that each of us has something we can teach, and each of us has something we can learn.
xo Juli
JULI HOFFMAN 
This is a very helpful post! Thank you! I’m in the middle (independent voter) and agree with all that he says. I’m giving the whole mess some space and setting healthy boundaries to protect myself from what’s going on in our country. 🙂
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I think that’s excellent advice for ALL of us!!!! 😀
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Well said! I, too, think that both “sides” believe they are correct in their beliefs. I don’t think most people are pretending. They truly believe and are sincere. It’s when they get nasty and won’t listen to anyone else that I fear for our nation. We need to work together or we will fall apart.
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Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Exercising caution on social media is a VERY good idea. There are too many people who get caught up in the rhetoric and the vitriol. I think it can be a very depressing thing to read too much and to go too far into it all. As a Canadian I am viewing the US from a distance. But I can see several of the same things, same tendencies happening now in Canada. We are due for an election next year and already the leaders of the opposition parties are taking an aggressively negative approach with personal attacks on the party in power and our Prime Minister. We are restricted to a short election campaign period but since it is starting already with the comments on the news it is going to be a long and unpleasant time. I appreciate your post and the videos.
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I like to think that progress is a slow climb, but’s it’s more like a pendulum. We make progress, we swing backwards.
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Yeah a pendulum. I have been feeling that my riding is bit like that. Two steps forward and two steps back. But we just have to journey on .
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I enjoyed the two videos, and I wish more people looked at things this way. Some of my best discussions were with people who had differing views than I did. I ended up changing my mind on a couple of things once I saw their point of view, and there were other things I believe in more firmly after the discussion. But the discussions were good ones, and I felt better off from having them. Each side does have something worthwhile to contribute. It’s scary to see how much fighting there is going on these days. I just stick to my own little corner and stay out of it. I got enough drama in my life as it is.
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I agree! I don’t know everything, nor do I have all the answers, which is why constructive discussions are so valuable. 😀
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