Navigating narratives
Notice your tendency to reflexively form an opinion or to hold on tenaciously to an opinion you already have if it comes under pressure. Notice the pleasure you take in seeing your beliefs confirmed, and notice your feelings of annoyance or outrage when they’re attacked.
Take some time to reflect on the narratives you’re receiving from your family, friends, news headlines, influencer posts, and protest sign slogans. Notice how it can feel convenient to accept these narratives at face value, especially when they’re influencing you from seemingly every corner. It can feel safe to be on the loudest side or the side closest to home. Many of these narratives’ messages may appear virtuous and well-intentioned, some of which are genuine.
I encourage you to curiously consider that some of these narratives may be hyperbolic or untruthful. Challenge the assumption that actions or behaviors of a few automatically represent the entire group. Consider that some narratives may be driven by ulterior motives. Think—
- Financial incentives: controversy gets clicks; if it bleeds it leads
- Popularity incentives: social media points, disagreement dodging
- Power incentives: abuse, manipulation, exploitation
- Unhealthy emotional coping mechanisms: victimhood, narcissism
- Tribalism: echo chambers, confirmation bias
By following and promoting false narratives, we are being dishonest to ourselves and each other by adding fuel to fires that may not be worth burning. Consider that we may be burning too much time, money, and energy on poorly prioritized problems or misunderstood issues.
We could use more rationality, emotional skepticism, and intellectual integrity in our daily doses of discourse. Whatever the next breaking headline or trending social media post happens to be from your side of the political spectrum, see if you can relax that reflexive muscle. See if you can pause before taking a position, if only for a minute. Watch your mind, and see if you can deny the next opinion it plays to land. Encourage yourself to begin by asking questions before reacting.
Yours truly,
Hope for humanity
