To be honest, before reading this, I would have said -- I do not want to hear a another single thing one way or the other related to politics in any way shape or form.
But having known you for even just a short while, I knew whatever you were offering would be genuine, and a reflection of the best of intentions. A bit of light in what can otherwise feel like dark and chaotic times. So glad I stopped by.
"Which island of reality do you live on?" good question... maybe we should all go for a long swim together, away from all of the divisive ideas taking root back on the islands.
Maybe out there in the open waters of the ocean we can get into the flow of real life again.
As hard as it can be at time, I wish more people understood how healing it can be for all partis when we are able to just listen to one another. Likewise, many would likely be surprised by how much weight is lifted when we stop fighting with reality.
This brings to mind the well known quote from Byron Katie: "When you argue with reality, you lose, but only 100% of the time."
(Sorry / not sorry, given the absurdities of what we're living through, I am imagining there's someone out there reading this, researching Byron Katie and trying to figure out if she's MAGA or a Dem to cast hate her way now...)
Seriously though, I am an old timer -- fondly recall the days back when I was a philosophy major in college. We'd go out drinking, arguing passionately all night long about philosophical ideas, political ideas, and all the rest.
Disagreement was almost a sport, and when done well - it made everyone better for it at the end. And here's the funny part - we'd all still be friends the next day. And we still respected one another.
Of course, we also lacked social media narratives pumping our heads full of narratives and a false sense of reality all day long. We did not have imaginary tribes and distant "friends" we posted things to impress, and thank God we were free to think stupid shit one day, learn from it the next, and change and grow without some permanent record of our "thought crimes" showing up in someone else's feed to haunt us as we went.
It wasn't paradise. There were still groups trying to delete certain thinkers with (sometimes false) accusations of them being antisemitic or what not.
But even that required reading, critical thinking, listening to one another, and time to work through. There was no threat of some instantaneous viral mob emerging out of nowhere to burn you at the stake.
I posted here yesterday about how truth emerges where space is provided for it to emerge. I also shared my perspective that how we relate to it, to ourselves, and to one another has a huge influence over how and when truth chooses to emerge into this world.
So in many respects, we get what we deserve - individually and collectively. I don't say that because it feels good, or because it "resonates with me". I say it because it appears to be a simple truth. And I also get that no one wants to hear that really, because there's so much hurt and anger in the world.
Hope we can get to that stuff sooner than later, healing the hurt and the anger. There's plenty there to keep us busy, once we turn our attention that way.
As a former cult member…I wholeheartedly and passionately approve this message!!!!! Wow Natalie, so beautifully articulated and TRUE. Everyone needs to take big dose of humility, check their egos and wake up to the concept of many truths or the grey, the in between. I’ve been that black and white person and it is so so limiting, I really think it regresses our emotional and intellectual intelligence. Thank you for writing this!
Thank you Abigail!! This is validating. I totally agree! The dogmatic mindset is a substitute for actual knowledge and learning. It stunts our minds and closes our hearts!
100% THIS. Thank you for sharing this! Mark Vicente has been on this topic as well, and as a former cult member/ whistleblower I think his unique perspective (like yours) is VERY needed at the moment. In general, being 100% sure of anything-- particularly when that thing is that all of the people that disagree with you are bad and deserve to be punished-- is a MAJOR sign you might be in a cult or, at the minimum, a victim of serious propaganda/ thought reform. As a shaman, my work is always in the space BETWEEN things, people, ideologies, matter and spirit, etc. I don't have the luxury-- or the malignancy-- of certainty. Besides: all the magic happens in the middle...so I'll just continue to hang out in the space between things, doing dumb shit like sticking to facts and evidence;)
Thank you Rachel! I love the idea of "the space between things." It really is the most magical place to live, and I'm always thankful for you doing dumb shit because it's a breath of fresh air! Haha.
Holy cow! This is some of the most well-reasoned and well-informed opinion of the state of minds in the United States right now. You eloquently used precisely the right language in precisely the right way to outline the current state of so many. I completely agree with your synopsis of the political psyche in the US right now. Very well said! I'a a little jealous cause now I can't say exactly what you just said. lol. well done!
Thank you so much Gilbert! I’m glad to know other people are feeling like I am. We’re not alone in it at least, and I do have about three other drafts I didn’t publish. It did take a while to get it all out how I wanted. But thank you for you kind words. :)
Yes- I have been wanting to articulate exactly this, but haven’t had the energy. The confusion around what is real is concerning, and we’ve got to rekindle our curiosity.
Natalie, thank you for this post, I know this is not easy .. I have stepped back a bit and have been working on a piece to post that I still have not been able to get the clarity that you have stated here. Thank you~~ I think that this is a key takeaway in stating that “our saving grace” is to recognize that our true power lies within, and encouraging our ability “to stay calm, curious, and compassionate, even towards the people whom you deem as “evil.” I am in Hawaii right now and today had an amazing conversation with a native elder who spoke about the spirit of her native people of having compassion and gratitude. These are words thrown around so much lately in spiritual “woo crystal hippie people (as Rachel would say) that this woman spoke of the depth of this meaning, and it aligns as well with the ability to truly know ourselves and as you say “it’s not a fight in our own being, but a “constant loving and soothing of our own selves” and in doing this we are able to “walk through the world in peace..making enlightened action” and “being a beacon in dark and confusing times”. So thank you for being that in this moment Natalie!!
We must also recognize this this “division and darkness” that so many U.S. Citizens seem to feel have “fallen on us alone” are sorely mistaken as this is the energy shifting in the world right now, so the more beacons we have around the globe the greater peace for all.
Thank you for this Karen, and for acknowledging that it’s not easy! This was draft four haha, and I am very relieved by the positive responses. That must be refreshing and inspiring to speak with someone like that and their message so validating. I really appreciate your response and encouragement!
It has felt a bit lonely after this election: the vast majority of my friends and family are Democrats, as am I, but it's been frustrating to see the way a lot of them have expressed their grief and anger. I see post after post condemning all Republicans as fascists, racists, and bigots. I see posts explaining that it's not a good idea to have relationships of any kind with people you disagree with about such fundamental issues. And it all seems so deeply counter-productive.
So to see someone even try to articulate, empathetically and fairly, both sides of the electoral divide is tremendously refreshing. The future of this country depends on the idea that a very broad coalition of people with quite profound disagreements can nonetheless live together in a civic compromise that works for the benefit of everyone. Thanks for speaking up!
This is the best thing I’ve read today. Filled with great questions, spot-on observations. Nuance is not this country’s strong suit, but it’s a skill we MUST learn. I’m going to come back to this piece.
This is good, Natalie. You have spoken a truth that needed to be spoken. It’s a truth I’ve been speaking for the last 46 years. Alas, in my experience, those who most need to hear it have generally been the least receptive to it.
There is nothing in that truth that attacks others, interferes with their lives, their liberty, or their pursuit of happiness. Yet, that is not how it is often perceived. The mere suggestion that we all share interests and values that not only transcend political bickering, but are completely ignored or even undermined by politics, frequently is met with hostility. It has been a struggle to keep myself from lapsing into cynicism.
The cult is, of course, the most destructive religion in history, the religion of politics. The fact that it is a non-theological religion doesn’t make it any less a dogmatic belief. It’s the belief that the only way to solve problems in human interaction is via arbitrary “laws” enforced by legalized coercion, or the threat thereof. It’s the belief that “us vs. them” is the ultimate method of deciding between right and wrong. It’s the belief in the Saint-King—the beneficent ruler who is powerful but wise and kindly. It’s the belief that we can give others the power of life and death over us and they will not abuse it. It’s the belief that power does not corrupt the judgment, discernment, morality, compassion, or equanimity of those who use it. And it’s the belief that we can vote away our personal responsibility without surrendering our freedom. All the evidence proves that none of those things are possible, or are happening, but we keep believing in the cult.
In the more than three quarters of a century that I’ve been alive, I have never seen such deep divisions between people as I see today, And those divisions are all engendered, fomented, and exacerbated by politics. It’s accepted as the principal modality by which people define who they are. “Identity politics” is a redundancy. The overwhelmingly common mentality is that your political disposition IS your identity..
It is utterly dehumanizing. Yet, it is believed to be essential. “How else are we going to solve all these massive problems?” is not a sincere question that is asked in a way that genuinely wants an answer. Rather, it’s a question that presumes there is no answer.
It’s an addiction, this belief in politics as the answer to every problem. In fact, it is the source of most problems—at least the politicized ones…and most everything has been politicized. The purpose of government, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, is to secure our unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That’s not what we’ve got. We have a system that turns neighbor against neighbor, children against parents and against each other. It turns friends into enemies, and nation against nation.
But what do we do? “We just don’t have The Right People in power.” “We need better laws.” “We need more enforcement of the laws we already have.” …and blah, blah, blah. The story hasn’t changed, and all it has gotten us is more interference with our lives, less prosperity, more disunity, and more societal dysfunction.
I don’t understand how a rational person can insist that we need more of that. It seems to me that it’s not much different from a man who is pounding himself in the head with a hammer, notices that his headache isn’t getting better, and concludes that the remedy is to pound harder.
Anyway, we need government, and how to provide that service is a different discussion. In the meantime, it is encouraging to see someone like you who has the simple human decency, common sense, articulate thoughtfulness, and courage to speak the truth you have written. 💟🙏
Thank you so much for this reply. I really appreciate it. Your ideas about the endless naivety towards god-like power and what that can do to a person's moral judgment was inspiring. I also agree that identity politics is an addiction. I was just thinking today about how basically everything is an addiction unless we are totally present in the moment, which is rare. But truly, thank you for your thoughts and for your support! It's not always easy to write what you really think and put it out there, especially during times like these.
Yeah…truth be told, I’ve been hesitant to write about the addiction to politics and its contribution to the eventual decline of all civilizations that have been afflicted by it. It’s not a political discussion; rather it’s a philosophical one, underpinned by the evidence provided by the entirety of our 6,000 years of recorded history. I just wanted to say thanks, Natalie. Your post, your reply, and some of the other comments here have inspired me to hope that maybe I will find some minds who are receptive to the truth that you obviously recognize. Subscribed!
So thoughtfully written. I have been avoiding social media for the most part because of what I was seeing post election. I badly wanted to post to friends and family when I first was seeing all the post, but felt such heaviness with all of it, that I decided it was best to sit with everything first. Thank you for the share and for the light that we all need. 💫
Beautifully said Natalie.
To be honest, before reading this, I would have said -- I do not want to hear a another single thing one way or the other related to politics in any way shape or form.
But having known you for even just a short while, I knew whatever you were offering would be genuine, and a reflection of the best of intentions. A bit of light in what can otherwise feel like dark and chaotic times. So glad I stopped by.
"Which island of reality do you live on?" good question... maybe we should all go for a long swim together, away from all of the divisive ideas taking root back on the islands.
Maybe out there in the open waters of the ocean we can get into the flow of real life again.
As hard as it can be at time, I wish more people understood how healing it can be for all partis when we are able to just listen to one another. Likewise, many would likely be surprised by how much weight is lifted when we stop fighting with reality.
This brings to mind the well known quote from Byron Katie: "When you argue with reality, you lose, but only 100% of the time."
(Sorry / not sorry, given the absurdities of what we're living through, I am imagining there's someone out there reading this, researching Byron Katie and trying to figure out if she's MAGA or a Dem to cast hate her way now...)
Seriously though, I am an old timer -- fondly recall the days back when I was a philosophy major in college. We'd go out drinking, arguing passionately all night long about philosophical ideas, political ideas, and all the rest.
Disagreement was almost a sport, and when done well - it made everyone better for it at the end. And here's the funny part - we'd all still be friends the next day. And we still respected one another.
Of course, we also lacked social media narratives pumping our heads full of narratives and a false sense of reality all day long. We did not have imaginary tribes and distant "friends" we posted things to impress, and thank God we were free to think stupid shit one day, learn from it the next, and change and grow without some permanent record of our "thought crimes" showing up in someone else's feed to haunt us as we went.
It wasn't paradise. There were still groups trying to delete certain thinkers with (sometimes false) accusations of them being antisemitic or what not.
But even that required reading, critical thinking, listening to one another, and time to work through. There was no threat of some instantaneous viral mob emerging out of nowhere to burn you at the stake.
I posted here yesterday about how truth emerges where space is provided for it to emerge. I also shared my perspective that how we relate to it, to ourselves, and to one another has a huge influence over how and when truth chooses to emerge into this world.
So in many respects, we get what we deserve - individually and collectively. I don't say that because it feels good, or because it "resonates with me". I say it because it appears to be a simple truth. And I also get that no one wants to hear that really, because there's so much hurt and anger in the world.
Hope we can get to that stuff sooner than later, healing the hurt and the anger. There's plenty there to keep us busy, once we turn our attention that way.
As a former cult member…I wholeheartedly and passionately approve this message!!!!! Wow Natalie, so beautifully articulated and TRUE. Everyone needs to take big dose of humility, check their egos and wake up to the concept of many truths or the grey, the in between. I’ve been that black and white person and it is so so limiting, I really think it regresses our emotional and intellectual intelligence. Thank you for writing this!
Thank you Abigail!! This is validating. I totally agree! The dogmatic mindset is a substitute for actual knowledge and learning. It stunts our minds and closes our hearts!
100% THIS. Thank you for sharing this! Mark Vicente has been on this topic as well, and as a former cult member/ whistleblower I think his unique perspective (like yours) is VERY needed at the moment. In general, being 100% sure of anything-- particularly when that thing is that all of the people that disagree with you are bad and deserve to be punished-- is a MAJOR sign you might be in a cult or, at the minimum, a victim of serious propaganda/ thought reform. As a shaman, my work is always in the space BETWEEN things, people, ideologies, matter and spirit, etc. I don't have the luxury-- or the malignancy-- of certainty. Besides: all the magic happens in the middle...so I'll just continue to hang out in the space between things, doing dumb shit like sticking to facts and evidence;)
Thank you Rachel! I love the idea of "the space between things." It really is the most magical place to live, and I'm always thankful for you doing dumb shit because it's a breath of fresh air! Haha.
Holy cow! This is some of the most well-reasoned and well-informed opinion of the state of minds in the United States right now. You eloquently used precisely the right language in precisely the right way to outline the current state of so many. I completely agree with your synopsis of the political psyche in the US right now. Very well said! I'a a little jealous cause now I can't say exactly what you just said. lol. well done!
Thank you so much Gilbert! I’m glad to know other people are feeling like I am. We’re not alone in it at least, and I do have about three other drafts I didn’t publish. It did take a while to get it all out how I wanted. But thank you for you kind words. :)
Yes- I have been wanting to articulate exactly this, but haven’t had the energy. The confusion around what is real is concerning, and we’ve got to rekindle our curiosity.
Exactly. Thank you Madia!
Natalie, thank you for this post, I know this is not easy .. I have stepped back a bit and have been working on a piece to post that I still have not been able to get the clarity that you have stated here. Thank you~~ I think that this is a key takeaway in stating that “our saving grace” is to recognize that our true power lies within, and encouraging our ability “to stay calm, curious, and compassionate, even towards the people whom you deem as “evil.” I am in Hawaii right now and today had an amazing conversation with a native elder who spoke about the spirit of her native people of having compassion and gratitude. These are words thrown around so much lately in spiritual “woo crystal hippie people (as Rachel would say) that this woman spoke of the depth of this meaning, and it aligns as well with the ability to truly know ourselves and as you say “it’s not a fight in our own being, but a “constant loving and soothing of our own selves” and in doing this we are able to “walk through the world in peace..making enlightened action” and “being a beacon in dark and confusing times”. So thank you for being that in this moment Natalie!!
We must also recognize this this “division and darkness” that so many U.S. Citizens seem to feel have “fallen on us alone” are sorely mistaken as this is the energy shifting in the world right now, so the more beacons we have around the globe the greater peace for all.
Thank you for this Karen, and for acknowledging that it’s not easy! This was draft four haha, and I am very relieved by the positive responses. That must be refreshing and inspiring to speak with someone like that and their message so validating. I really appreciate your response and encouragement!
It has felt a bit lonely after this election: the vast majority of my friends and family are Democrats, as am I, but it's been frustrating to see the way a lot of them have expressed their grief and anger. I see post after post condemning all Republicans as fascists, racists, and bigots. I see posts explaining that it's not a good idea to have relationships of any kind with people you disagree with about such fundamental issues. And it all seems so deeply counter-productive.
So to see someone even try to articulate, empathetically and fairly, both sides of the electoral divide is tremendously refreshing. The future of this country depends on the idea that a very broad coalition of people with quite profound disagreements can nonetheless live together in a civic compromise that works for the benefit of everyone. Thanks for speaking up!
This is the best thing I’ve read today. Filled with great questions, spot-on observations. Nuance is not this country’s strong suit, but it’s a skill we MUST learn. I’m going to come back to this piece.
Thank you John! Yeah I guess nuance doesn’t sell haha. I’m glad to know this was a positive part of your day. :)
Thank you, Natalie.🙏🏼 You so beautifully articulated everything I’ve been reflecting on at this moment for humanity.
Thank you Andrea! So grateful to meet like-minds :)
This is good, Natalie. You have spoken a truth that needed to be spoken. It’s a truth I’ve been speaking for the last 46 years. Alas, in my experience, those who most need to hear it have generally been the least receptive to it.
There is nothing in that truth that attacks others, interferes with their lives, their liberty, or their pursuit of happiness. Yet, that is not how it is often perceived. The mere suggestion that we all share interests and values that not only transcend political bickering, but are completely ignored or even undermined by politics, frequently is met with hostility. It has been a struggle to keep myself from lapsing into cynicism.
The cult is, of course, the most destructive religion in history, the religion of politics. The fact that it is a non-theological religion doesn’t make it any less a dogmatic belief. It’s the belief that the only way to solve problems in human interaction is via arbitrary “laws” enforced by legalized coercion, or the threat thereof. It’s the belief that “us vs. them” is the ultimate method of deciding between right and wrong. It’s the belief in the Saint-King—the beneficent ruler who is powerful but wise and kindly. It’s the belief that we can give others the power of life and death over us and they will not abuse it. It’s the belief that power does not corrupt the judgment, discernment, morality, compassion, or equanimity of those who use it. And it’s the belief that we can vote away our personal responsibility without surrendering our freedom. All the evidence proves that none of those things are possible, or are happening, but we keep believing in the cult.
In the more than three quarters of a century that I’ve been alive, I have never seen such deep divisions between people as I see today, And those divisions are all engendered, fomented, and exacerbated by politics. It’s accepted as the principal modality by which people define who they are. “Identity politics” is a redundancy. The overwhelmingly common mentality is that your political disposition IS your identity..
It is utterly dehumanizing. Yet, it is believed to be essential. “How else are we going to solve all these massive problems?” is not a sincere question that is asked in a way that genuinely wants an answer. Rather, it’s a question that presumes there is no answer.
It’s an addiction, this belief in politics as the answer to every problem. In fact, it is the source of most problems—at least the politicized ones…and most everything has been politicized. The purpose of government, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, is to secure our unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That’s not what we’ve got. We have a system that turns neighbor against neighbor, children against parents and against each other. It turns friends into enemies, and nation against nation.
But what do we do? “We just don’t have The Right People in power.” “We need better laws.” “We need more enforcement of the laws we already have.” …and blah, blah, blah. The story hasn’t changed, and all it has gotten us is more interference with our lives, less prosperity, more disunity, and more societal dysfunction.
I don’t understand how a rational person can insist that we need more of that. It seems to me that it’s not much different from a man who is pounding himself in the head with a hammer, notices that his headache isn’t getting better, and concludes that the remedy is to pound harder.
Anyway, we need government, and how to provide that service is a different discussion. In the meantime, it is encouraging to see someone like you who has the simple human decency, common sense, articulate thoughtfulness, and courage to speak the truth you have written. 💟🙏
Thank you so much for this reply. I really appreciate it. Your ideas about the endless naivety towards god-like power and what that can do to a person's moral judgment was inspiring. I also agree that identity politics is an addiction. I was just thinking today about how basically everything is an addiction unless we are totally present in the moment, which is rare. But truly, thank you for your thoughts and for your support! It's not always easy to write what you really think and put it out there, especially during times like these.
Yeah…truth be told, I’ve been hesitant to write about the addiction to politics and its contribution to the eventual decline of all civilizations that have been afflicted by it. It’s not a political discussion; rather it’s a philosophical one, underpinned by the evidence provided by the entirety of our 6,000 years of recorded history. I just wanted to say thanks, Natalie. Your post, your reply, and some of the other comments here have inspired me to hope that maybe I will find some minds who are receptive to the truth that you obviously recognize. Subscribed!
So thoughtfully written. I have been avoiding social media for the most part because of what I was seeing post election. I badly wanted to post to friends and family when I first was seeing all the post, but felt such heaviness with all of it, that I decided it was best to sit with everything first. Thank you for the share and for the light that we all need. 💫
Thank you Rena! I felt exactly the same way. It was overwhelming and I had to sit with it for a while as well. I'm so glad to know this resonated. <3