Posted 3/14/2016 11:14 PM (GMT 0)
Politics mirrors society, and what we're seeing now is the expansion of a culture of exclusion. We look for reasons to discount one another, where we should actually be looking for ways to support each other. As an example, Bernie has as many good ideas as Trump; Cruz and Hillary both have positive visions for America; but for some reason liking one very often means we can't like the other.
We've abandoned the concept of 'big tent' ideals, where we embrace our diversity and sacrifice some of our own comfort for the sake of others. Instantaneous social networking allows us to easily find peers that reinforce our beliefs by validating our ideas. Instead of leaving room for differing opinions, we try to impose our beliefs on those around us.
We need to acknowledge that having even our most closely held beliefs challenged is good for us. I shouldn't get mad if someone questions a concept that I hold dear, in fact I should continually look for ways to question those closely held concepts myself. Depressed people tend to self-censor, and we've embraced the idea of 'safe spaces' to our own peril. We will never grow beyond who we are, unless we allow disparate ideals to test our worldview.