barefoot & yelling

There seems to be a lot of yelling going on these days. Whether it is between friends, strangers, celebrities, politicians.

This yelling, though - the most interesting thing about it is that it almost exclusively takes place in one spot: online. Now, that's not good or bad. Social media and online forums provide a spot for many things to be said, that need to be said that may be uncomfortable to say in "real life."

I am all for finding a safe way to say things.... so what's the problem?

The yelling. That's the actual problem. Many issues that have hit the limelight over the past months (feminism, racial injustice in the "justice" system, vaccinations) are hot button issues. They are issues that, for many, are key in defining their life's philosophy.

Because of that, we are barefoot in these issues. They are issues that touch a vulnerable, determined, powerful part of our soul. A sort of psychological "fight-or-flight" response gets triggered. And so we yell. But the yelling is so damaging. It creates a vicious, unsafe place where parties become dangerously, and often aggressively, polarized in their views.

And that is so harmful - not because opinions are harmful, but because we need to learn how to express opinions in a way that still shows our ability to respect those around us, whether they agree with us or not. There is a time and a place for passionate disagreement. More often, we encounter times and places that call for civil disagreement.

Why? Why is being civil and respectful so important? We are living in a particular culture, one that emphasizes the importance of "me-me-ME."

This mindset is not sustainable. It's just common sense. We can't exist as one entity (community, state, or nation) when we value good for ourselves above the good of the community. It's not to say individuals don't matter - they do. We can't have any units of community without individuals. We don't have innovation, spontaneity, or organization without individuals.

But individuals have to be willing to responsible for taking care of their community. We have to create a space that fosters discussion, education, generosity, empathy, discourse & change.

Embrace these things. Embrace them barefoot. Let's work towards creating a world where we can safely be barefoot in the things that matter to us. In a world where we don't need to shield our soles with layers of polish, socks, slippers, sandals, or boots.

Being barefoot in the things we love is beautiful. So let's treat each other that way.