While I tend to steer clear of most of the political "discussion" that happens in social media, I read a lot of it. One thing has become abundantly clear to me during the last 6 months of this election cycle. It is entirely possible that this has always been the norm. Perhaps it is because of the extremely polarizing nature of our two major candidates that this is becoming the norm.
This election cycle is all about fear. Both sides are playing into it to a degree that I have never seen before. This may seem like an over-simplification, and perhaps it is, but follow me on this:
One party's advertisements plays up fears of outsiders, fear of what the world will become if certain people are allowed to gain power, and fear that you are being lied to.
"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both."- Niccolo Machiavelli
The other side plays up fears of outsiders, fear of what the world will become if certain people are allowed to gain power, and fear that you are being lied to.
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is the fear of the unknown." - Howard Phillips Lovecraft
I am not saying that one side is right, and the other is wrong. Far from it. The mechanisms for playing on this most basic of emotions are very different, but the end result is the same.
The best way to overcome the fear of something you do not understand is to meet it, learn from it, and try to understand it.
"What is needed, rather than running away or controlling or suppressing or any other resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come directly into contact with it. We are to learn about fear, not how to escape from it." - Jiddu Krishnamurti
What are you afraid of? Continuing our country down a path that you perceive as dangerous? Allowing the callous treatment of entire subsets of our society to become commonplace? A set of policies damaging our economy to the point of no return? Allowing bluster, arrogance, and a complete lack of qualifications becoming a prerequisite for political office?
Here's the thing. No one is allowed to tell anyone else what they can and cannot be afraid of. You may know someone who is terrified of ghosts, and is convinced that they have interacted with spirits. You may think that they are wrong, but you cannot know.
While I am sure I will not get this, or anything like it, my wish for this election cycle is a better understanding of what we all fear, and a better understanding for everyone as to how to conquer that fear.
"Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future. If we can acknowledge our fear, we can realize that right now we are okay. Right now, today, we are still alive, and our bodies are working marvelously. Our eyes can still see the beautiful sky. Our ears can still hear the voices of our loved ones." - Thich Nhat HanhStatistics: Posted by Bluedevyl — Tue Oct 18, 2016 5:20 pm
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