“The mind can CONCEIVE IDEAS,
so much faster
than the body
can act on them...
than man
can realize them...
than the world
can embrace them…
But NOTICE
WHICH ideas
progress OVER TIME...
FREEDOM
EQUALITY
MORALITY
REASON
...
Keep the faith!
OUR world,
is
a
work in progress.”
This was the thought I shared this morning on facebook.
Our world is a
game of inches,
yet for some reason
we expect landslide victories.
If you think about the history of the world,
At least the history of our FREE world,
Success has always happened amidst great disagreement.
As human beings,
we believe what we believe,
And for some reason,
we have an impatience and an expectation,
that the world,
as we believe it should be, expands rapidly in our surroundings.
That is just NOT how reality works.
The world evolves slowly,
and amidst great disagreement.
The decision
- to leave England in the 1700’s.
- to have a President who did not have the powers of a king in the late 1700’s.
- to end slavery in the late 1800’s.
- to allow women to vote in early 1900’s.
- to support World War I and then II in the 1900’s.
- to allow black people to vote in the mid 1900’s.
- to start deregulation in the 1980’s.
- to have Government healthcare in the past decade.
- to elect Trump (or Hillary) this past year.
Were ALL divided decisions.
It’s like 48% of people believe argument A, and by design 48% of the people lock in to argument B.
The world’s evolution is decided by those willing to consider reason and fact…
The world turns on “tipping points”
and then it takes generations before a real sustainable majority embraces an idea.
How long after the civil war do you think the South accepted freedom for all people?
Our world is a world in progress,
And progress is an iterative process
that tips when those willing to embrace rationality OVER emotion are in agreement.
I have a lot of friends that are Democrats.
I have a lot of friends that are Republicans.
And, they are all wonderful, rational people -
Many are “partisan” at heart,
which means they default to the template of their party regardless of reason.
Nothing wrong with that –
it just defines the two sides of the coin in most political or social debate.
How many people do you know that vote for Democratic and Republican candidates depending on the candidate?
OR
how many always vote for one party or the other?
It is the ones that are willing to swing,
to change and set their minds based on reason,
evolution of culture, new information,
that ultimately set the direction of the world.
It’s a game of inches.
We should NOT expect EVERYONE to agree with us.
We shouldn’t expect to live in a country where the vast majority agree on anything material,
That's NEVER been the way it's been,
And yet...
we have that expectation.
Ironically, we SHOULD focus on RESPECTING
that many people fundamentally disagree with what we believe,
and RESPECT for the FREEDOM to disagree with civility is the ONLY thing that unites us.
That is where we can find some solace in our family, in our friendly circles, or in the companies we work in and create…
We can create smaller environments of greater shared common values, that allow us to LIVE more of our moments in harmony and agreement with those around us.
Social media and the proliferation of “partisan” entertainment has created an expectation that we can or should expect an entire nation of agreement…
And, MORE and MORE the voice of our opinion calls for intolerance and hatred toward those who disagree with us...
That is SIMPLY a wildly naïve expectation, and a dangerous direction...
The world’s progress is a game of inches.
Our minds can create wonderful versions of the “ideal” world... FOR OURSELVES,
And slowly we ARE creating it... FOR ALL OF US,
By creating a world that represents the shared believes of everyone,
By embracing a world where our freedom to disagree with civility
unites us,
fuels us,
and keeps propelling us
toward a better place…
a place where we can all coexist...
Thomas Jefferson wrote,
“To build a great nation,
(and I would argue a great world)
The interests
of ALL groups
in EVERY part
MUST be considered.
And that only in a large national (global) unity
can real security be found.”
Speak your mind...
I am not suggesting that you sit back and watch,
If you passionately disagree.
But, speak your mind
With gratitude and patience…
And, embrace that those who OPPOSE what you believe, have a right to voice their side.
This is why it is healthy for us as a country to have a change in government,
and a change in governmental party every decade or so.
It is not by chance that it tends to happen that way...
It is by REASON... by the rationality, deliberate or otherwise, of the 4% in the middle...
CARTER - D, REAGAN - R, BUSH - R, CLINTON - D, BUSH - R, OBAMA - D, TRUMP - R
Our world is a game of inches,
and a world in progress…
Our journey will not be linear,
Nor without stumbles and occasional violence,
We are an imperfect gang of beings,
moving toward an asymptotic peace and understanding.
Our divided voice
WILL
continue to navigate us
steadily,
deliberately,
faithfully and
iteratively
toward
harmony...
Nestor