We’re facing a lot of polarization right now. How are you processing it? Some examples:
“They are literally stealing the election from Trump with massive voter fraud! The evidence is coming!”
“Trump is such a loser he can’t admit defeat. Judges are throwing out his cases left and right. It’s a scam to raise money.”
“Trump is literally the last chance for freedom and democracy in the world against the communists. That’s why they hate him so much and why the media is constantly looking to destroy him.”
“Trump is a narcissistic lair who surrounds himself with followers who don’t think for themselves but are controlled by biases and belief systems they don’t even recognize.”
“COVID is a scamdemic! Yearly deaths are flat. The NWO death cult globalists want to sterilize, microchip, and kill you with an untested vaccine. If you wear a mask, you are a sheep, and you support their death racket!”
“The number of daily deaths in the US is approaching and surpassing historical tragedy levels. Wear a mask, get the vaccine, stay home, and we’ll all get through this. If you don’t, you’re selfish and are literally killing other people.”
“The Galactic Federation is real! Aliens are real! You aren’t ready for the truth.”
“People are stupid and believe all kinds of random gibberish on the internet. Conspiracy theorists are everywhere and should be ignored and silenced.”
“The US is printing money like never before! Quickly get yourself some cryptocurrency while you still can.”
“Bitcoin is a greater fool scam with no intrinsic value that will crash in price again and again and fleece those who don’t understand the game.”
“America is the last free nation against the globalist / communist agenda. Socialism kills and is creeping its way into every aspect of life through corrupt and violent government.”
“America is the last backward modern nation with no single payer healthcare, no social safety net, homelessness out of control, and capitalism profit seeking corrupting everything including prisons, universities, and government.”
These are just some of the examples of polarized views I see from my friends and family. Chances are, there’s something like what I’ve mentioned above that you are quite convinced is absolutely true and you “know” if anyone disagrees with you they are not only ignorant and wrong, but they are actively harming others with their beliefs and essentially making the world a worse place.
The wake up call, I think, is recognizing how others who completely disagree with you feel the same way about you and your beliefs.
Yes, there is a way to be less wrong, but I’m not as convinced in “absolute truth” as I once was because the world is a very complex place with lots of nuance. It’s very possible (and probable) that within a sufficiently large system, you can find corruptions and issues which will support a narrative about the whole system while at the very same time other aspects of that system demonstrate the opposite view of harm being done.
So how do we navigate all this? Do we give into fear, anger, and doubt? Do we steel our minds to one way of thinking and shut everyone who disagrees with us out? Do we keep our views open to possibility while still recognizing how people (including ourselves!) can be deceived? Do we censor and sever ties with friends and family because they seem so “lost” in their beliefs about reality?
If you’re struggling with this stuff, I recommend checking out Spiral Dynamics Integral. There is a way to understand these conflicting values and views of the world that integrates them all together. It becomes less about who is “wrong” and who is “right” but about understanding how someone can be “right” within their value system based on their community and understanding. To be different within their system would actually be “wrong” and cause more harm than good.
Understanding this helps us understand each other and judge less. You have more control over the outcome of your life than the beliefs of those around you so don’t get too upset with others. Also, be free to be wrong. It’s okay. Your identity and ego are not so fragile as to reject improving your understanding, even if it includes some redefinition.
We got this, human family. It’s going to be okay. Things will probably get even weirder. That’ll be okay too. Love really is the key to navigating through it all while continuing to improve our epistemology, knowledge of logical fallacies, and maxims which can guide us through what otherwise feels like chaos.
Be at peace.
Be well.
When you have love, you have it all.