A world of opposites?
Right now, the world appears as one of opposites: Republican, Democrat; mask wearer, not a mask wearer, Brexiteer, Europhile… And more than ever, we seem to be insisting on our rights to oppose. All of which appears to be sowing division, discord, and unhappiness.
Division, discord and unhappiness are not attitudes I wish to learn or absorb into my thinking, nor would I ever think that endorsing these aspects was a good thing. It is my experience that we all have something to learn, and that if we want to begin to find solutions to the world’s very real problems, we have to begin to find a way to live amicably, despite our different viewpoints. So how can we do this?
I can see many different points of view. Depending on my mood and a host of other things, I can agree that a certain viewpoint is justified sometimes, even if I hold a different viewpoint; it all depends. So, if I lived in a country with minimal state provision for its citizens and a very thin or vulnerable safety-net for the sick or disabled, of course I understand those who insist on the right to keep working as long as they can, and who decry any attempts to restrain their freedoms in that direction, pandemic or no pandemic.
Self-reliance is laudable, but it can sit uncomfortably in the midst of a global health crisis. So, since members of my family involved in healthcare are in the midst of a viral outbreak which is having deadly outcomes and which most observers agree is now barely being controlled, and since I have friends directly involved in looking after the sick, I support restrictions on our social lives and even on our freedom to earn a living if that helps to bring the crisis under control. If I expose myself to un-necessary risk in exercising what I think of as my rights, how might an eventual illness in me or in my household add to the burdens of an already toiling health care system?
It is very apparent to me that, even in a world of opposites, although the Covid 19 virus and its ilk has not – not yet – affected me directly, it is better for me to curtail my daily expectations, since the combined effect of us all doing so reduces the risks to healthcare workers: even in times of crisis, we do not routinely choose to work in a field of endeavour in which the risk of serious illness or death is constant, and many times that of other work.
However that may be, I can and do listen to differing points of view, and try to see the merit in all different perspectives. Despite our differing philosophies, we have to find ways to listen and co-operate with one another every day, so that together we can contribute to constructive, long-term solutions to our problems. That is what politics is all about. Since climate change, environmental losses and the weakening of democratic systems affect us all, the most enduring solutions will come from as wide a field of contribution as possible.
Thanks for reading.
Please share:
November 17, 2020 @ 2:51 pm
Everything you say is true and I would add that politeness is a wonderful tool when you are communicating with those who might have opposing views to yourself. You can calmly put your case, smile, listen and at all times be polite and the outcome may not change but there will be far less antagonism. I regret that many people have lost the knack of simply being polite.
November 17, 2020 @ 5:15 pm
Thank you so much, Diane! 🙂
It costs nothing to be polite, and to listen, even if we disagree. I know I have had friends with whom I disagree on many things, but I still love and appreciate them, not least for helping me to form my own views. Listening is under-rated, and the key to dismantling antagonism in so many ways. Perhaps anger is what we feel, after all, when we are not being listened to. Oh, btw, I bought your latest book and am enjoying it. Xx
November 18, 2020 @ 4:06 pm
How lovely. I do hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed basing it in Liverpool where I misspent my youth. My mum and dad lived there until this year when they both died but the weeks spent there in the spring reminded me what an interesting, vibrant place it is and what a super city to use for a crime book. I am half way through writing the next Jordan Carr and having great fun with it.
November 20, 2020 @ 9:51 am
I didn’t know you spent your youth in Liverpool! How exciting. It’s a wonderful place, perfect setting for a very interesting series. Thanks for all your writing, it keeps me going: something to do with persistence, courage and having fun! Xxx
November 17, 2020 @ 9:34 pm
Fran, you have put the case so elegantly and reasonably, and I agree with Diane about the value of courtesy here too. I am perhaps more distressed by the virulence with which people take opposing sides. It almost seems hopeless that such entrenched and vociferous positions could ever meet, but your post gives me a sprinkling of hope. I do not have friends in healthcare or in need of serious healthcare, but I do have friends and even a son-in-law, who have lost their jobs and livelihoods because of the restrictions. Two of my friends are even losing their home as a consequence of the lockdown, so there are no easy answers, but all the while we can reach across and discuss the issues reasonably and with open minds, there is a chance of recovery. Keep well, my friend.
November 17, 2020 @ 10:02 pm
Dear Val,
It’s wonderful to hear from you. Thank you, for reading and commenting so thoughtfully. I’m sorry you feel so distressed by the current problems we face, and I have no doubt that there are many good people suffering. It’s hard to stay positive in the midst of troubles, I agree. But without something cheeful in the wings, life gets even harder, which helps no-one.
In looking at videos on Youtube and Now This, often about republicans who had been staunch GOP supporters all their lives and who have now felt driven to vote for Biden, I looked at first rather sceptically, and then increasingly have appreciated their honesty, and the basic integrity that underpins much of their belief. It’s humbling to realise that there are many kind, conscientious and generous people on both sides of that particular divide, so that I am far less prone than I used to be, to making quick judgements based on someone’s apparent allegiance to one cause or another. I’m still learning, it seems, but that’s a good thing, right?
Take care, and stay well. You are much loved. Xxx
November 19, 2020 @ 12:28 pm
Hello Fran,It is frustrating to see so much division around the world. We have had a bit here in Australia with people complaining about lockdowns et al. Luckily most people have cooperated and in Victoria masks are common and you won’t get into many shops without one. Victoria has just had twenty days in a row with no deaths and no new cases and only three active cases. It is interesting to think that Melbourne, with a population greater than the second largest city in the USA and the whole of Australia has had only 907 deaths.
November 20, 2020 @ 9:56 am
John, how wonderful to hear from you. I’m so pleased :-))) you came by and left some comments. Always interesting to compare different outcomes. I do mourn the slowness of the UK response to Covid. (If I could see it coming in December, so could they, surely..!) and think how different things might have been with a more proactive stance. People complain whatever happens: too few cases and it “was a fuss about nothing” – too many, and the narrative becomes, “You didn’t do enough”. Still, I know which option I prefer! From where I’m sitting, the most tragic thing is that the USA had lots of warning, plenty of notice, and still delayed. So sad.
I hope you are doing well and enjoying a rising Summer. Many blessings. I’ll take look see at your posts. ((xxx))
November 19, 2020 @ 5:34 pm
Hi, Fran!
It’s good to be here, and read your latest post. The ability to communicate with ‘the other side’ is sorely needed. It would help if we had more public officials willing to do that. I think most folks I know simply ignore political conversations. This, too, is a shame, since what happens in politics affects all of us.
Our church has, thankfully, found a way to make the church into a safe place for members and visitors, no matter their political affiliation. We have a long way to go, but we’re moving in a good direction by focusing not on political issues, but on people in our immediate and distant environments who need help. We’re also doing the 4th round of a voluntary (for all but church leaders) online course about the history of black people in the USA (An American Lament, available online, free download).
Ignorance about our past is one of the greatest challenges we face. It’s easy to say “I wasn’t there,” so this (racism) really isn’t about me. But it is. We’ve all (especially white citizens) been shaped in ways that discourage knowledge about our history, or ways of dealing with it.
As for Covid masks, they’re one of the most effective ways to demonstrate our care for ourselves and for others. Period. 🙂
Love and hugs from across the ocean!
Elouise
November 20, 2020 @ 10:17 am
Hi Elouise! It’s so wonderful to see you here and read about what you’ve been doing. Somehow, despite all the “extra time” at my disposal through lock-down, I’ve not been super productive. (I suspect there are other issues at play that I need to take a look at.)
It’s a strange thing, but I find that the best communication is not about talking, but is really about listening. Which is where sites like Youtube and Now This really come into their own. Through listening to videos posted by RVAT, I’ve really come to appreciate the good core of conservative values, and how these can be deployed anew in the cause of human decency and kindness. And it’s useful, even when I’m feeling more cynical, to listen and learn from the arguments so that I can frame my case well.
One thing the Quakers have taught me is that there are few things that cannot be helped along with a bit of creative listening. We call it worship sharing, and basically, we sit in a circle and all have the option to contribute one time about the topic being considered – sometimes in rotation, but not necessarily – when we feel called to do so, and only if we want to. Interestingly, I find that worshipful silence and sharing are the basis for the meeting of minds, and the spoken contributions end up merely giving form to an idea, which reveals ways forward. Any minutes required are discussed and agreed at the meeting, not afterwards, so that changes can be considered, which means that all get a hearing. When the process works, it works beautifully.
I agree that ignorance is painful, and the loss of awareness leads to a great deal of mindless stupidity. It’s easy to excuse ourselves by saying, “I never realised,” and in that sense, it’s never too soon to get some awareness! But we needn’t beat ourselves up about our ignorance. I’ve been immersing myself in a 1979 TV series which I saw as a kid, “Kidnapped” with David McCallum, a true heart-throb of mine at the time. It’s a bit of childish hokum, but it does remind me of the pain the Highlands went through, and I do reflect on how Scottish history is still blindly misunderstood and misrepresented.
I love facemasks too, even when I’m walking along the street and can’t see through my steamed-up spectacles. So I wear glasses less often now, which also has its challenges, since things are a bit fuzzy outdoors. Hmmm… let’s see…. Blinded by my masks / steamed up glasses or living in a short-sighted fuzz. Which will it be today…?? 😉
Love and hugs back atcha, sweetheart.
Fran Xxxx