On the rare occasions I check the news or social media channels, I see nothing has changed. Those on the Right are convinced the nation is awash with anarchists forcing the nation into some kind of lawless, socialist welfare state; those on the Left are convinced the nation is teeming with racists hellbent on creating a totalitarian state. And all of this playing out amidst a pandemic that has, of course, further divided the masses.
So many agitated minds. So much sound and fury signifying nothing.
If we are not careful, this agitation pulls us in, our emotions rise, the thought machine roars to life, and we are lost to the same madness.
And if you refuse to engage? The admonishments from the agitated ones come fast and furious. “You must take a stand!” “You must vote!” “You must believe in something!”
Why should I invest even a moment of this life agitating about the thoughts and actions of others?
“Because their thoughts and actions could impact you or your loved ones!”
True. But won’t that happen whether I engage or not?
“Yes, but perhaps you can stop it from happening.”
Have you ever changed the mind of another? Has anyone in the whole history of humanity, ever changed the mind of another human that was not itself already poised for change?
“So your answer is to do nothing?”
Far from it. I’m hungry to know the one experiencing this life, experiencing these thoughts, experiencing this body. The world and its sources of agitation constantly change – history teaches us this – but there seems to be something in me that never changes. That’s what I want to know. The world will do what it must.
“That’s a very self-centered approach to life.”
Absolutely. Imagine, for a moment, if every human lived the same. Who would be left to argue, to fight the wars, to urge others to join them in this or that crusade?
