One Life

I don’t normally write articles about subjects like man’s inhumanity, but, today an exception is called for. At 71, not old by the standards of some, I’ve seen enough human vileness to last anyone’s lifetime. But what’s occurring today, in front of my eyes needs to be spoken about, examined in a detached manner, and clearly understood.

We, humans, are easily offended, easily angered, and quick to react in response to that which is different or not understood. We perceive threats in difference. If we cannot find affinity in the ‘other’, we seem to jump almost immediately to denigration as our ‘belief’, untested and often unexamined, becomes something we must defend. We’re all guilty of this. It may be a survival instinct that has carried along on our genes or it may be something man has engendered because it leads to tribalism and affinity for our in-group.

Whatever the reason, we are apt to form opinions based on almost no facts. We don’t necessarily attempt to understand, research, or become informed, but rather we form an opinion of the ‘other’ that has no basis.

Today, we have elevated this behavior into an art form where we seek out echo chambers for our opinions, unfounded and untested as they may be. This deception of our intelligence is held as a ‘belief’. Belief is for me a synonym for ignorance. Those without proof, are certain of their belief, because it meets with their biases, their ignorance. It then makes it easy to categorize and act against the interests of ‘others’.

The only way to avoid being ignorant is to seek understanding, to be informed, to research, to inquire, and to listen. But today, there is no wish to listen, ignorance is king. If you never test your assertions, you can never be wrong. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But if you dare to test your assumptions, to listen, truly listen, you’ll see yourself in the ‘other’. But it requires courage and a willingness to compromise, in fact, not just compromise, but to collaborate. Only through the act of collaboration can we learn to see the world from the position of the other. It’s as close to ‘living a day in their shoes’ as possible.

I reflect on this today because I see two tribes who are willing to hate the ‘others’ simply because they are different. They speak differently, sometimes they look differently, and they hold opinions that are opposed to the ‘other’ group. Today they don’t simply dislike the ‘others’. They find ways to antagonize, anger, insult and demean the ‘others’.

For many years, I taught conflict resolution and change management at a college, and worked with the institution to develop a business program that required organizations in conflict to come ‘face-to-face’ with their biases and their ‘beliefs’. Usually, this occurs as a result of dysfunction. Two groups, often involved in a merger or corporate acquisition needed to confront their ignorance, and their beliefs about the ‘others’.

The process was, and is, not easy. It takes real courage to face your ignorance and seek how that ignorance forms the ‘belief’ that you then act upon. I was pleased to see successes, but not always, as understanding can simply create a ‘chimera’ of reality, to which individuals and organizations will return once unwatched. But the successes taught me that we are capable of change and understanding if we seek it. The problem today is that the echo chambers of our beliefs can be found every time we turn on the TV or get on the internet.

Humans don’t seek understanding it seems, without some sort of intervention. We are happy in our ignorance, our ‘rightness’, so we continue to seek out the echo chambers that infuse us with contempt, anger, and eventually, hatred for the other.

Humans are truly beasts, and intelligence is not our forte. I hope you find the courage to listen, to understand, and to test your assumptions and assertions. Often, you may find ignorance at the heart of your beliefs.

Be well, be safe, and continue to ride, relax, and remember that you are not always right.

Ciao…