Stepping back from the brink
On not feeding the outrage machine
After some consideration I have decided consciously to step back from feeding the outrage machine. What I mean by feeding the outrage machine is that after learning of some new outrage perpetrated by the “other” side, I decide to share it with my social media community. After meditating on this behavior, I have come to the conclusion that it serves no one to continue to do this. The outrage machine needs to have its plug pulled.
In this unfortunate era of hyper-partisanship, there is a tendency to want to publicly declare “We are right” or “the other side is wrong” whenever faced with a new affront to our dignity (as caring individuals) or assault on our democracy. Since the November election, reacting with strong emotion to current affairs has seemed not only necessary, but cathartic. But after taking a step back, I have come to realize that all of this relativistic/dualistic thinking does not reflect the (capital T) Truth of the situation nor does it encourage “the better angels of our nature” (after Lincoln).
By stepping back, I seek to preserve my own equanimity as well as lower the overall toxic energy of the general atmosphere. Certainly one of President Trump’s tactics is to take outrageous actions with the express purpose of agitating people as a way of distracting them from the deeper and more nefarious schemes that are underway by him and his money-hungry cronies.
One downside of this is that I might lose track of some new assault on our dignity. However, I am confident that the ones worth noting will still be apparent and there are enough others who have dedicated themselves to cataloging the damage.
YUP! I was late in getting to this article, but yes, I think so many of us have taken a step back. Part of my motivation for doing so is that this IS a big deal, and as such, I feel that it is part of a bigger transformation going on out there. Thus, since fear and trust are oppositional, I chose trust. Not do-nothing trust, but active, energetic trust. (The difference exists within My Soul, and I know when I am doing either. LOL) Also, I feel that I needed to get back to the YOU HAD ONLY ONE JOB!?! personal motivation: "Love one another." Running from fear to fear was just filling me up with so much negativity ... not a regimen supportive of being a loving person. So, yeah, me too, Peter, ME TOO!
Came to the same conclusion recently. The circus is in town. It doesn't really matter how many bears, how many trapeze artists, how many clowns there are.