How about a little self reflection?
Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve problems with the same level of thinking that created them.”
So here is what I believe is the thinking that created these problems and some new thinking that might help us get out of it.
The major problem we (and the world of humans) have is our thinking. I was once told that “The purpose of the human mind is to prove it is right.”
Most human beings are blind to their own limited thinking. Listen to a typical conversation and you will see people jumping to defend their own beliefs rather looking for the possible truth in it. People are masters at finding data that support whatever they believe in. Another name for this is “closed-mindedness.”
Take FOX News, MSNBC and CNBC. The first two represent the extremes of the right and left.
They are filled with mostly intelligent, skilled communicators who find data, and only data, that supports their beliefs/agendas.
CNBC (the business channel) is filled with commentators who are anti-government and regulation. Attorneys, who make up the majority of Congress, thrive on adversity. The goal of a lawyer is to prove his/her side is right and the other side is wrong. Truth has no place. It is all about winning.
So a new thinking would be to first question what we believe is right.
Democrats must question their beliefs in such things as union practices are all good, increasing taxation on the rich and corporations will solve all our problems, government can and should take care of everyone, increasing regulations is always good, health care is a right and increasing funding is always the answer.
Republicans must question their beliefs such as government, taxes and regulation are evil, the profit motive is the only path to a healthy society, the American dream is available to anyone who wants it, the wealthy fairly earned their millions/billions and have no obligation to society or there is no problem with everyone having guns.
All Americans have to question their beliefs that life is fair, that money grows on credit cards, that they can be irresponsible with their money and their health, that the government or someone else will take care of them, that there are no consequences for cheating on your taxes, driving drunk or getting away with whatever you can.
What we need is for everyone to question their own beliefs, rather than challenge others.
The way to start this is to simply ask yourself, how might my thinking be wrong? Where did I get these beliefs? How might the other perspective be right? And What am I afraid of?
Are you brave enough to try?
Carol Schepper
Organization psychologist
Lucerne
