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Koan: Polarization [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-02-23
The time we live in is fertile ground for training in being open-minded and open-hearted. If we can learn to hold this falling apart-ness without polarizing and without becoming fundamentalist, then whatever we do today will have a positive effect on the future.
Pema Chödrön, Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World
It would be easy to demonize those who set out to demonize us, but don’t do it. Ask yourself who needs our help more? They are their own worst victims, as recounted in Dying of Whiteness, by Jonathan Metzl, and it is up to us to offer them help, in the manner of Jizo or Fudo offering assistance in the Hells. It is our responsibility, whether or not they will be willing to take any of that help, even if they tell themselves that we are utterly evil and the cause of everything wrong in their lives.
So unfair!
The Great Self Himself
The unregenerate segregationists have declared that democracy is not worth having if it involves equality.
MLK jr. in Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos or Community, 1968
Jizo offering a hand up out of the flames
Fudo the Immovable, unmoved by the fires of Hell, offering to bind demons and cut off delusion
Fortunately, there are effective ways of working with our tendency to polarize. We can begin by self-reflecting and noticing the “for” or “against" quality of our thoughts, words, and actions. We can also notice and take joy in those moments when we are not polarizing. Am I increasing my sense of separateness from others? Or am I nurturing bodhichitta, the longing and commitment to wake up for the benefit of all living beings?
This can range from wanting to berate or hit someone, all the way up to intensely, viciously stupid wars and even genocides and intentional human sacrifice. Don’t get yourself started on any of it.
Once we see what’s at stake—not just for ourselves, but for our surrounding environment and for the planet as a whole, we are naturally motivated to apply payu, heedfulness. When we understand that there are repercussions to everything we do, say, and even think, we feel inspired to maintain our payu as much as possible.
The Indivisible Truth Brigade has an extremely useful practice of beginning its Truth Sandwiches by finding common ground. For some, that means asserting the ideals of the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution. For almost everyone, it is the need for respect. Even the greatest haters and spreaders of the worst disinformation demand respect for themselves, their ideas, their families, and their community. Once you find common ground, which may be difficult, it becomes much easier to call out hypocrisy politely and suggest helpful perspectives and even actions. Squeezing all of that into the confines of a social media post is an art that takes practice and help.
x We all want our health, but we don't all agree on how to maintain it. There is far too much disinformation about, on almost every aspect of health, and too many people trying to hide the real information from the rest of us. Information wants to be Free. You can help. #Indivisible #TruthBrigade
[image or embed] — Mokurai (@mokurai.bsky.social) February 16, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Search for common ground with all of those who think they reject it with you. There is more of it about than you might think.
What we find in just the last few weeks is that substantial numbers of Trump voters are falling away steadily. He was the first President since polling got started to be upside down on the day after his inauguration. Musk’s approval is far below Trump’s. See
'Can't stand him': From policy to personnel, Trump scores historically low poll numbers
for many more details from many more polls.
Now, what kind of common ground can we find with those disappointed Trump voters? More and more of them agree about how awful his actions have been, yes? Especially pardoning the J6 insurrectionists, where 83% of the whole country disapproves, including most of the ultra-MAGA. OK, then.
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