I wasn't surprised by the election

one week ago, today.

We have lost the ability to care for or even understand the complexities of what it means to be human.

And to make matters worse, it seems like a lot of people are doubling down on the polarities they identify with the most:

• Good and Bad

• Right and Wrong

• Tolerant and Intolerant

• Optimistic and Pessimistic

• Open and Closed-Minded

• Empathetic and Apathetic

TRUTH: Being human is to be all of those things at once. Humanness is a spectrum that we collectively live in. Our stories are multi-faceted, and simplifying them into an either/ or stance is the essence of dehumanization.

Which is the problem.

I tried to shed light on this thinking in my classroom.

The Danger in a Single Story. It’s old. But you should watch it if you want to understand what’s happening in our country. It might help you determine what your next steps could be after the election.

So, what is there to do if we are ever to reconcile the actuality of our identities and honor the humanness of those we live amongst? 

We must strive towards sonder, as Adam Grant shares.

So many of us (Democrats and Republicans) have wrapped our identities up in ideologies, and we can no longer separate the two. We live in our echo chambers, and you might find yourself stuck there if:

• You are thinking, “That’s not me.”

• You feel like everything is all or nothing.

• All you want to do is numb the pain you are feeling about yourself or others.

• Your identity is wrapped up in a political party rather than values or ideas. 

• You are leading with your head, not your heart.

• You tell yourself, “I should” do something a certain way.

• You think your political, social and personal ideologies are mainstream.

• You wonder how is it possible that - x, y, z - happened?

If you are still asking yourself, how do I find the humanity in this shit show that is America right now? I’m here to help.

Take the next step.

A very good friend asked what can we do in this moment to push the needle in the right direction? It doesn’t matter that in the past, you have viewed yourself on a “side.” The right direction is toward humanity and humanness and being with the other. Here’s one thing you can do right now, wherever you are:

Download this new should/ would/ could thinking framework. It can take as little or as long as you need it to, but it’s a handy way to move the needle if you are willing to work for it.

If this sounds helpful and you’re interested in doing more work to understand the world right now, keep going.