Balancing Both

I have recovered from my alarm of yesterday morning when after writing a reasonably reassuring blog about the psychological processes that lead toward extremism I read some very disturbing news about the Russian cyber attacks, the refusal of some parts of the military to continue to work with the Biden team in transition and ongoing reports and investigations about the Trump camps fund-raising practices, and I got so upset I posted the whole article/newsletter that had upset me.

Was that an incidence of exactly what I was warning about? I was certainly emotionally reactive, but was I moving from denial into a more realistic assessment of the dangers of this moment of transition and alternative realities? Or was I getting carried away by bits of information that I put together in ways that confirm my worst fears about ‘those people’?

As a good Zen practitioner, I have to assume that it’s both. In our linguistic world, things are either this or that—either light or dark—either good or bad. But when we look more closely into our experience of life, we can notice that these clear boundaries and demarcations are nowhere to be found. I might say that I’m upset, but I’m also eating my breakfast and planning for the day’s events. In the dark there is light, and in the light there is dark. Events in the past that seemed good at the time led to some very difficult times. Conversely failures and disappointment may have turned out to had some unexpected gifts. It’s never just one thing.

But yesterday, I was surprised by the duration of my disturbance. My emotional state is usually fairly stable, but yesterday morning I was deeply agitated for several hours. I was worried about the Presidential transition and the ongoing damage of Trump’s baseless but powerful challenge to the legitimacy of the election. Trump is attempting a self-coup. He is doing whatever can to undermine the lawful transition of power and to stay in office. He is not defending the country (has said nothing about the Russian cyber-attack or about the rising Corona virus deaths) he is defending himself and his grip on power. He is openly spreading unfounded rumors and fanning the flames of conspiracy theories. He urges all toward extremism then presents himself as the only one who can bring stability.

Though Republicans in Congress are increasingly coming out and publicly accepting Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, they are still unwilling to directly take on the President’s preposterous lies and his passionate supporters. This is not a good thing. We are still in danger. Biden’s election was a huge victory but Trump’s influence and attempts to subvert our democracy are ongoing and need to be taken seriously.

This morning, as I open this can of worms again (and remembering that cans of worms, though perhaps slimy and icky are also wondrous and life-giving) I am not nearly as disturbed. Yes, there is ongoing danger and we should all do what we can. But many people are awake to this and we are, generally, moving in the right direction. Here are some suggestions I have for moving forward, honoring both our social responsibility and individual sanity:

1) Stay informed, but not too informed. Don’t imagine ‘it’s over and we won’ but also don’t stay glued to the constant agitation of information. Also remember to listen to a variety of voices, not just the ones that shout the loudest.

2) Find some small actions you can take for the good of all. I recently called my state representatives to urge them to fight Governor Baker’s amendments that weaken the recent Police Reform bill. I sent some postcards to George to urge people to vote. Not much, but it’s something.

3) Remember what you love. Don’t let the behavior of others be the focus of your inner life. Be intentional with your attention. Don’t wait until thing ‘settle down’ to appreciate the simple things that are already here.