Hugo, really appreciate your call for individual acceptance of the larger "we". I will sadly admit that I have jettisoned some old and valued friendships over confounding rhetoric surrounding the election, vaccinations, and other common-sense issues that have become inexplicably divisive but to survive I must choose not to engage against every perceived outrage. Life is too short and I'm coming to see that the cost individually and collectively is too high.
I think it can be necessary to cut ties from time to time -- but the end result is that we lose more than we gain. And the reality is, shunning people makes them double down rather than transform. The only way through is to engage where we can, as best we can, while staying sane ourselves.
We were raised to accept everyone from card-carrying Communists to evangelicals who though the world was about to end. We made it work in our family. We must keep that spirit alive, somehow.
Hugo, really appreciate your call for individual acceptance of the larger "we". I will sadly admit that I have jettisoned some old and valued friendships over confounding rhetoric surrounding the election, vaccinations, and other common-sense issues that have become inexplicably divisive but to survive I must choose not to engage against every perceived outrage. Life is too short and I'm coming to see that the cost individually and collectively is too high.
Thank you, cousin.
I think it can be necessary to cut ties from time to time -- but the end result is that we lose more than we gain. And the reality is, shunning people makes them double down rather than transform. The only way through is to engage where we can, as best we can, while staying sane ourselves.
We were raised to accept everyone from card-carrying Communists to evangelicals who though the world was about to end. We made it work in our family. We must keep that spirit alive, somehow.