Staying Curious
My brother-in-law Andrew and I went canvassing door to door in Reno, Nevada. A highlight was talking with one grateful Latino voter who sent us home with a six pack of Mexican beer and some Dr. Pepper!
I feel humbled to have connected by phone with tens of thousands of voters in swing states this year, and I think my takeaways are worth sharing.
Although I encountered some hostility on both sides, I try not to demonize others’ views, because I’ve been shown many times the flaws in my own views. Staying curious has helped me navigate my own judgments and, ultimately, feel less alienated from people I disagree with.
I learned that some people may support Trump because they resonate with his bold, confrontational style over what they see as elitist culture. Other people might find his narrative aligns with their own questioning of society, or support his financial or religious policies, dismissing his extreme rhetoric as just bluster. This isn’t a complete list, but the point is that I felt a kinship with these people despite our differences. Although I sometimes heard people on either side describe the opposing side as 'bad' or 'evil', I feel clear that nobody is evil; we all take action based on misconceptions sometimes. I can’t say for sure which of my beliefs are well-founded, so I’m skeptical of my own certainty, even when I feel confident.
What scares me is how easily we, on both the Right and Left and simply as humans in our lives, relationships and jobs, form narratives that keep us from seeing the world with fresh eyes. We make decisions based on limited worldviews, and it’s incredibly hard to break through to a new perspective or understanding.
I came to believe more than ever that we have an opportunity now to see change not as an obstacle, but as leverage to lift us up. My biggest regret about the COVID experience is missing the chance to come closer together. I hope that through curiosity and by challenging our own frameworks within each interaction we have, we can understand better how others feel and feel less alienated from each other.
I continue to believe that as humans, we interpret the world through projection, seeing everything against the backdrop of our own experiences. But the universe is infinitely rich and varied, and our projections often keep us from seeing what truly is, or at least what might be true for somebody else. How do we see what really is? Many traditions offer tools for this, but for me, it’s about connecting our present experiences to the inner changes we seek in life. Can I see what is happening to me now not as a victim of circumstance but as a participant in my own growth? Can I see each moment as an opportunity to choose new and different ways to react and respond to what is happening to me?
It’s comforting to me to put aside judgments and appreciate the diversity of human experience, recognizing how differently each of us deals with our own pain. Let’s keep this in mind as we move forward.