We’ve been lied to and manipulated. If we are going to separate from that manipulation, we’ll need to confront brutal honesty. In order to witness honesty, our egos and opinions will have to be set aside. At least for the purposes of this conversation.
Here’s a few steps to help us navigate this part:
1. Everybody’s right. Start there.
2. Accept the fact that each of us is fighting some kind of battle. That struggle changes their perspective and colors their point of view. It does not relegate them wrong or right; it fills in the blanks.
3. Labels are misleading and unhelpful. It’s best we abandon them.
4. The need for love, autonomy and personal integrity is universal. Honor it as best you can.
5. Boundaries matter. Recognize and respect them.
6. Public conversations, between people, groups or institutions, have a hidden agenda. The face of that conversation is inclusive here, and not meant to be as “truthful” as it is “convincing”.
7. Private conversation, which can only happen between people, can approach truthful and intimate only if all participants have a mutual goal of relationship.
Public conversations dominating today’s toxic media would have us believe they care about us. This is false on every front. What they care about first is something else. It could be money or position — it is most likely not truth, and definitely not intimacy. These people are not our friends and they do not care about us. If we are to successfully deal with any of the deceit, manipulation, horror and control that is our current world, and is now about to be revealed, we’ll have to first accept that fact.
All public discourse has an agenda. We have all been lied to.
Every. Single. One. Of. Us.
What matters now isn’t who’s the most right or who’s the most wrong. It’s -
“What do we do now?” “How do we heal?” “When can we come together?” “What is the most important thing for us to fix?”
Let’s start there.
I believe in you. I believe in us. I believe in love.
