“I don’t support X, but Y is AWFUL!”
The Three Gates on politics:
- Love yourself
- Love one other person
- Understand humanity and history without guilt, blame, or shame
- Avoid trolls. Nurture your tribe
- Win with integrity and compassion
Who should you vote for? I’ll tell you.
- Someone who is most HONEST, by your values, definitions and perceptions.
- Someone who is most KIND AND COMPASSIONATE, again, according to your values and perceptions. Empathy is CRITICAL for leaders.
- Someone who you believe will be most EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE. Most “useful” by your definitions, for your goals and values.
I believe that if every citizen did this, we would have disagreements, but still be walking one steady step at a time, toward a better world.
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Let’s apply this a little. I recognize the utility and inevitability of politics, but am troubled by the difficulty of navigating those waters while remaining within the Gates. And no, it isn’t that “politicians” as a group are less than the rest of us…it is that they are no BETTER, and therefore vulnerable to the same temptations. A subject for another time.
A person who respects the Three Gates might well feel that their candidate is not honest, and has touches of cruelty, but supports an agenda they consider CRITICAL for survival of their tribe. I can actually respect that IF they are honest. Then you can have a discussion of those issues, and if no common ground can be met, well, see you at the ballot box. That’s democracy.
These people would “hold their nose and vote” so to speak, and that describes plenty of people.
But a step DOWN from that is the person who knows their candidate is difficult to defend personally or morally and will use the following tactic: “I’m no fan of X. Now, let me tell you why Y is worse.”
They DON’T particularly discuss the issues — -they know that’s a losing position. Instead, what they want to do is reduce YOUR enthusiasm for your candidate, or perhaps break up alliances by pointing out ways that Y doesn’t live up to high standards of splinter elements of the opposing coalition. They are playing “Let’s you and him fight” in Transactional Analysis terms.
While it is true that some perfectly innocent people will use such a formulation, remember that “politics is war continued by other means” and that “war is deception.” So it is foolish to ASSUME they are being honest, and perfectly reasonable to ask deeper questions.
If you believe HONESTY is critical to relationships, you will indeed notice that cheaters can prosper short-term. Don’t be fooled. Yes, if can be harder to work your way through your arguments and positions to be able to hold them with integrity and still “win” but it is worth it.
If you believe KINDNESS is a doorway to EMPATHY which allows connection on deeper levels, then you will also notice that Cruelty can seem more powerful…short term. Ultimately, you have to make decisions about who YOU are. If you feel that love is the most powerful force in the universe (as I do) then you need to also realize the heart needs to be protected. Awaken your survival drive (the breathing is a great route to this. Just slow it down until you feel the “pulse” that demands you take the next breath, and you are touching the “third rail” of human psychology, the doorway between the conscious mind and the animal survival drive. Once you contact it, you REALLY need to open your heart, or you can be a danger to others. Why do you think every martial art has ethical guidelines encoded within the practice?)
If you believe USEFULNESS is critical in the adult world, you are simply acknowledging that children are not safe unless their adults are competent. There is NOTHING wrong with asking people to show you their results relating to fitness/health, relationships/joy, and well…money, preferably made doing something in alignment with your spirit and heart.
As you walk this road, it becomes easier to see where we lie to ourselves, engage in petty cruelties, and blame the world for results we could have had with greater emotional clarity and discipline. Do that, and you can see the same in others.
And among those things will be people who put politics (“how can we win?”) above philosophy (“what is true? Who am I?”). Be careful. Such people are not automatically problematic, but the more they put “usefulness” (winning) above honesty or kindness, the more corruptive they can be.
So the next time you see someone use the “I don’t favor X, but Y is just AWFUL” dig deeper. If the simplest explanation is that they are snakes, slithering around and pretending that they are just concerned for YOU. Just trying to help YOU, well gosh darn…ASSUME YOU ARE DEALING WITH A SNAKE.
Regretfully, especially in election season, you are likely to be correct.
Namaste
Steve
(This exploration of the Three Gates as applied to politics is just an example of the M.A.G.I.C. formula applied to a specific arena. If you would like to know more, the Beta version of the very first book on the subject: “The MAGIC Formula: Earning a Black Belt in life” is now available at http://store.payloadz.com/go?id=2694027