Member-only story
Racism? Sexism? Extremism? They’re All The Same Problem.
Pretty much everywhere you look people are finding things to fight about. Race, gender, political leanings, religion, the list seems endless. It feels hopeless too. How are we supposed to learn to get along if we’re so different? How can we possibly solve all of these various points of disagreement? The good news is, this problem isn’t nearly as complicated as it first appears.
First of all, yes, we are different and yes, this will lead to differences of opinion. There’s no question about that, just as there’s no way to conclude that one person’s experience is more valid than another’s. None of us sees the whole picture, which is why it’s important that we listen to each other instead of dismissing those whose life hasn’t been identical to our own. After all, nobody’s life has been identical to our own.
Secondly, we need to be cautious about what information we trust. We are suffering badly from information overload in the 21st Century. There are so many voices out there, that it’s possible to find a narrative which supports any view you want. Do you feel like police brutality is entirely due to racist police officers? There are plenty of “studies”, articles and opinion pieces claiming exactly that. Do you quietly suspect that racism…
