I very much dislike politics. A good friend of mine works in politics and loves it, but I can imagine the lifestyle and the nonsense that necessarily comes with it. She gets to be part of doing good in the world, but has to be surrounded by and often receive lots and lots of junk. I think it would age me and depress me massively after not too long of a while.
One thing that has always hugged me about politics is that people cannot seem to take the ideas and opinions of others as ideas and opinions. At least, not in this country. When I lived in France, I was blown away with how people often would be good friends with someone who had some opposing belief to their own belief, and sometimes a fundamental one. They could discuss fervently their opposing viewpoints, and then happily offer another round of drinks to one another. They often genuinely discussed opposing viewpoints and then accepting something new in each of their own views, having received it from the other’s viewpoint. It was both mind-boggling and awesome to witness. It was something I very intentionally took home with me.
And then I even forgot about where I got it. Haha 😛
I truly enjoy hearing the opposite viewpoint on things. Even when it feels someone if beyond wrong about something, I often ask to hear that person’s view. Usually, there is value in it, and it can become truly understandable to me. Sure, that doesn’t mean the logic in it is flawless or the knowledge within it is accurate. But it is understandable. And it helps me not only to work with that individual, but also to see the world around me all the more clearly. It helps me understand people and their ways of thinking all the more, and it helps me thereby be a better and more loving person.
However, people still rarely get to hear my own opinions. I get along very well with people with whom I disagree on many things. But only so long as they don’t know that we disagree. Our culture is so strongly tied to offense at disagreement, that most people leave my acquaintance if they ever discover that we disagree on whatever it may be. And they do so without discussion. In fact, they won’t discuss in the first place, the moment they discover we disagree. That makes it all the more sad to me, though, because that is exactly the time to discuss with one another.
Good people are good people. No matter if they agree on every detail about life. And they don’t need to agree on every detail about life. But politics creates this world in which, if you and I do not agree on every detail, we must be enemies. There is no real in-between. There is no discussion. There is no consideration for the different experiences and events within our respective lives, or the different information we may each have received or how we may have interpreted it or what we may have understood it to mean. If we are not fully on the same side, we are on opposite sides. And we cannot be around each other or be friends or even discuss further to understand one another’s opinion.
And it’s just so sad.
There’s a guy who does documentaries. He asks real questions to the perfect people on topics that have become incredibly controversial. And I love that he is asking the questions to those who society says have the answers to them. But he often does it very condescendingly, sometimes even degradingly. I wish he would ask from a place of curiosity first, then make conclusions based on the results. Even though he tends to have appropriate conclusions beforehand, there is no need to be condescending. It’s rude, frankly. And it takes away a lot of the value of the inquiry, and limits the audience to mostly those who already had predetermined their own negative and condescending opinions on the topic before ever watching. Versus creating an opportunity for all to learn and to consider. It’s like he asks to prove he is right. I’d rather he ask to understand, and then evaluate. That’s almost always my goal, even when talking with someone who does agree with me on something controversial. Especially so with someone who disagrees.
Anyway, I’m exhausted emotionally from this week. People can be so hard for me – I just don’t have an interest in being horrible towards others, but politics seems to call people to do just that, and it is so sad to me.
God, help us all turn to you. May your hand guide our minds, our actions, and our hearts. Heal me of this nausea, while nourishing me and this baby, please. And, please, keep my husband safe. In your name, I pray. Amen.
Post-a-day 2024
hannah ananas 