Self and Others

Here’s an observation about the United States in 2025 — there are three key active conflicts in this society. There are obviously more than these, but these are the ones that I observe.

First conflict — We spend a great deal of time and energy trying to change other people — especially when it comes to what we consider right morally and politically. We are convinced we are right and that anyone who disagrees, doesn’t just hold a differing opinion based on their life experience. Instead, they are wrong, or worse — evil. American society sees things in a dichotomy of either/or far too often. Most of the time we don’t need to take the conflict to that level. Apparently there are only ever two options, which are diametrically opposed to each other. This creates a ton of problems for us. It means we are in a constant conflict for who is right. It’s a battle that never ends because we will always find another enemy to fight. I wonder if part of the reason we do this has to do with our own identities. I don’t think it’s too far of an argument to say that more often than not we claim our identity based on who/what we are not and what we are opposed to, rather than who/what we actually are and what we actually believe in and support. We know what we don’t like, we know what we don’t want, but we often struggle with who we actually are and what it is we actually like and want.

And the further we go down that path of always seeing an enemy, the higher the stakes. In the end, we all lose. We lose relationships, we lose rights, we lose the things we love, we lose our…