PERSPECTIVE ON SOCIAL

Perspective. On social media, I follow both left-wing and right-wing political pages, channels, accounts, etc. It's an effort to remain free from the echo chamber that occurs when following one side only. Confuse that algorithm!

Though tempting sometimes, I don't offer up reposted shares of what such and such page wrote about what so and so said. For over time, l've found that the often controversial quote is almost always incomplete and painting a vastly different picture, its tone and meaning deeply changed by the missing words that preceded and followed it. "Yeah, but what about this quote, huh, this guy said 'yada, yada, yada, that can't possibly mean anything but." You may be surprised, I continually am. When there's a controversial figure in the news, I find videos of the person speaking, often searching by said controversial quote(s), and then I listen.

It can take hours over a number of days, often listened to at 1.5x speed in order to expedite the process, but still be palatable for comprehension. While out walking, driving, or in any other bits of downtime, I listen in order to learn and understand, to gather a sense of the person beyond what's being peddled. You know, taking it from the horse's mouth so as not to be a horse's arse.

Don't have time? Me neither.

There's a balance, one can't be consumed with media and its continual controversies. However, if one wants to voice an opinion, to share on a topic, wisdom has a way. I'll often disagree on any number of things said by the person, yet, I come away more fully informed with a softened heart, and entirely different impression than what I was initially led to believe.

It doesn't take much for divisiveness to grab hold as it is, so it certainly doesn't help when there are countless sources confusing issues with their own blend of mish-mashed rhetoric. At least in times past, people could disagree from a handful of shared common sources, to all start from the same page.

In the last week, what l've seen over and over more than ever before, are words along the lines of "they live in an alternate universe" from BOTH sides. Perhaps you happen to follow both political parties as well in trying to be equally knowledgeable and objective, and have witnessed this too.