Transforming Apathy To Empathy

October 19, 2016 — election, fight or flight, listening, politics

fall flora

There is despair in the air.  Our society’s collective adrenal gland is shot from the constant stress of our current political battle.  Fight or flight, a reasonable healthy reaction to scary circumstances, has been exhausted by the season’s campaigns.  We are sick of the fight, and there is no place to flee from reality.  The blame and shade is flying freely.  Our weary spirits are drained of faith hope and charity.  By charity I mean extending the benefit of the doubt to those with whom we disagree.  The most charitable act to make is to listen with care.  The most civilized goal to set is mutual understanding. After this election we will still be living with each other, so our current problems will not vanish in November.

To dig ourselves out of this mess we will need to:

• Set much higher standards for performance from our lawmakers
• Scrutinize the taxation policies in order to reduce and eliminate loopholes
• Focus on improving education quality, and close predator private colleges
• Base health care payments on patient success rather than per procedure
• Find real solutions for our opiate and exotic prescription drug addiction
• Stop bickering about every little thing

This is a tall order, especially when everyone is bracing for total disorder.  We have our work cut out for us after we finish counting votes.  Our futures depend on our ability to listen, which means we will need to be quiet for a while.  We will need to be still and know.  How hopeful are you, gentle reader? I am optimistically neutral.  We have survived tragedy in the past.  This too will pass.