We live in a world where it is very easy to drown out the noise. Our phones are constantly buzzing with notifications from our friends or from news outlets of our choosing. Think about that. We live in a world where technology can connect us to anyone or anyplace, where we can find out the answers to most of our questions by a google search, and yet we choose what we hear.
As a person who follows, and pays attention to politics I think this is what caused my own personal burn out. When we look at all the different news organizations giving us different interpretations of the same information, or even telling us that the information given by different organizations is wrong. It makes it very difficult for us to form opinions that make any since.
This problem is exasperated because of we, speaking in generalities, put ourselves in a bubble, where we hang out with people who speak and believe the same as us. I will admit that I have personally drowned out a Trump supporter or two, without even listening to why these people support him. I dislike Trump, I believe “X, Y, and Z” about him, so anyone who thinks differently than me must be an idiot.
We have to remember if we can put ourselves in the bubble where we are constantly reaffirmed our own beliefs, so is the other side.
We can block, unfollow, and unsubscribe to people who believe differently than you because we are tired of arguing our points. What if, rather than believing that you must change the mind of the other person we listen. I had a conversation with someone who I am very close with, who has opposite politics with me who did not realize that many Democrats feel as though Republicans don’t care about the average American and only care about making themselves richer. Did I change this person’s mind, not at all, but I did make this person think. Maybe more conversations like this, we can find more common ground and build fewer walls. I know I am not perfect, but I am going to try.
