It always amazes me that some people cannot see the ugliness of the politics they support and yet wonder why people don't like their otherwise good natures. It is a moral dilemma for me to have to not associate with really decent folks who would be great at being friends simply because they cannot see the horrible effect of what the politics they hold as sacred does to all of us. I had thought it was rather impossible to be a good person while promoting republican policies that harm and segregate. Then I learned the term "cognitive dissonance", http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/cognitive-dissonance.html. I find most of this occurs with republicans. They want to hold onto the cause of their beliefs and traditions as a priority over the resultant effect of bad behavior and dismissive attitudes.
Their safe and ancient cultural experiences are for some reason a comfort despite them being a harm to all. How is this possible and what can be done to change the dynamic? For me it always comes back to education. The more we learn and know the more likely we are to experience life beyond our childhood understandings. We get to realize through education that the world is a mighty place to explore. We are not pigeonholed into a set of beliefs and inculcated behaviors of the past. Education opens our eyes to a panorama of possibilities that affect us as if we sere still children learning of the awesomeness of our surroundings.
We begin to realize that our regional differences are a strength and what we bring from where we were raised is a value to others who learn from us as we learn from them. I have spent the whole of my life accumulating wisdom and understandings from many different and diverse souls. I would not be the well rounded soul I am without the shared experiences I have with those from most all walks of life. Our diversity is amazing and is applicable in every sense to our growth and maturity. Those who do not wish to be educated every day of their lives become those who are most readily accepting of not knowing and staying in their lack of knowledge as a prize. There are too many like this in our nation and now they think that their lack of knowledge is a bonus for them to rule over others without regard to logic and the common sense of enlightened argument.
Their safe and ancient cultural experiences are for some reason a comfort despite them being a harm to all. How is this possible and what can be done to change the dynamic? For me it always comes back to education. The more we learn and know the more likely we are to experience life beyond our childhood understandings. We get to realize through education that the world is a mighty place to explore. We are not pigeonholed into a set of beliefs and inculcated behaviors of the past. Education opens our eyes to a panorama of possibilities that affect us as if we sere still children learning of the awesomeness of our surroundings.
We begin to realize that our regional differences are a strength and what we bring from where we were raised is a value to others who learn from us as we learn from them. I have spent the whole of my life accumulating wisdom and understandings from many different and diverse souls. I would not be the well rounded soul I am without the shared experiences I have with those from most all walks of life. Our diversity is amazing and is applicable in every sense to our growth and maturity. Those who do not wish to be educated every day of their lives become those who are most readily accepting of not knowing and staying in their lack of knowledge as a prize. There are too many like this in our nation and now they think that their lack of knowledge is a bonus for them to rule over others without regard to logic and the common sense of enlightened argument.
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