I love this, right out of the Pema Chodron handbook. And while most of my parts align with this and want to get closer to Buddhism, I still find myself very angry. I intellectually know that my anger and judgement helps no one, yet I am not yet in a place where I can “ keep my heart open in hell.” I want to do something to dismantle the hate and power hungry machine that is running this country. Why did we think America was any different than any other part of the world? Corruption seeps in to the veins of us humans everywhere and those corrupt and blind individuals are coming for our rights!!!
"The panacea for isolation and disillusionment is community. As bell hooks reminded us: “One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.”...
It is disappointing to me that your essay is all about the crisis, the resistance, how to survive the next four years.
This goes against what you also said, which gave me hope that you might be offering help to heal the divide: "Getting curious about why people may have voted for Trump (rather than simply how could they have) is a question that should be asked, particularly for those of us who are in this struggle for the long-term...
...We could also get a bit more curious about the role of our movements and organizations, which sometimes engage in practices that create silos and echo chambers. For example, what could happen if we did the following?"
IMO, iF you would allow your curiosity to first take you to answer these questions you raised, perhaps you could become a vehicle to bring people together to solve our societal and cultural problems.
I love this, right out of the Pema Chodron handbook. And while most of my parts align with this and want to get closer to Buddhism, I still find myself very angry. I intellectually know that my anger and judgement helps no one, yet I am not yet in a place where I can “ keep my heart open in hell.” I want to do something to dismantle the hate and power hungry machine that is running this country. Why did we think America was any different than any other part of the world? Corruption seeps in to the veins of us humans everywhere and those corrupt and blind individuals are coming for our rights!!!
There's an Audre Lorde piece, "The Uses of Anger" that I have always found helpful to sit with my anger. Sharing. :-)
Love this framework SO much and reference it often. Great share!
What an incredible resource. Love the way you’ve articulated the different roles in community formation
Thanks for this gift!
My reaction to reading your article:
"The panacea for isolation and disillusionment is community. As bell hooks reminded us: “One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.”...
It is disappointing to me that your essay is all about the crisis, the resistance, how to survive the next four years.
This goes against what you also said, which gave me hope that you might be offering help to heal the divide: "Getting curious about why people may have voted for Trump (rather than simply how could they have) is a question that should be asked, particularly for those of us who are in this struggle for the long-term...
...We could also get a bit more curious about the role of our movements and organizations, which sometimes engage in practices that create silos and echo chambers. For example, what could happen if we did the following?"
IMO, iF you would allow your curiosity to first take you to answer these questions you raised, perhaps you could become a vehicle to bring people together to solve our societal and cultural problems.