Awareness

            I want to begin this by acknowledging that I know self-centering can negatively influence discussion around topics that are social or political when they don’t directly apply to the person speaking about it. This is something that I know I’ve been guilty of in the past, and I’m starting off with this because it’s hard for me to avoid doing when I write, and given the topics I’m going to explore here – I want to be conscious of the fact that the self-centering of writing about my perspective has the potential to be harmful and I’m going to do my best to avoid or remedy that in the best way I can. However, sharing my perspective through writing is one of the best tools in my personal arsenal (I think/hope) and I aim to try and use it in a positive way.

            There are many ways I considered framing this post around specific issues of racism, COIVD-19 response, human-trafficking, ICE detention centers, climate change, the political climate in the U.S. at the center of all of these things (unfortunately), the list goes on and on, but after sitting on this for a while – to me, one of the more insidious problem underlying all of these is a general lack of awareness. Whether unintentional or not, I honestly believe that more widespread unity and positive affective change in these areas could be achieved with thoughtful, intentional, and active individual awareness in regard to social and political issues.

            It’s not my intention to over-simplify here – the world is far too complex of a place to rest the solution to its problems on one thing in this way. The act of awareness is merely the stepping stone onto the path of changing things, but a step that seems to be missed or avoided by many. I myself am guilting of choosing not to take that step on a daily basis, because it is hard to look the world in the face sometimes and I am not always strong enough to take it. It is painful to see pain, but if you do not see the pain you cannot be affected by it. If you are not affected by it, then it will not change your mindset – and your mindset directs your actions, which are influential to the world around you, often more impactful than you may give them credit for.

            When trying to talk to people about any of the issues above – or even just local daily news sometimes – I’ve been met with the response that the person or people I’m talking to just don’t know what to believe, or who to trust in the media. Their opinions are often stunted because of fear that they don’t have the right information to base a solid opinion on or because they have too narrow a scope of information. I can’t argue with the fact that most media is biased and often only present facts that support their agenda, but that doesn’t mean those facts aren’t still true – media sources still need to maintain credibility when it comes to their evidence and sources. What I’ve found is that it really doesn’t take much digging to find out whether something has validity (unless it’s something very obscure)  – just cross check with some other sources and you can normally reach an answer. It’s usually just taking the time and effort to dig that seems to be the problem.

            To expand on that, I would say overall it’s helpful to just attempt to expose yourself to a broader scope of media – seek out those that live beyond your unconsciously curated assortment (be it from what you’re drawn to organically or what an algorithm has decided to put in front of you). Having a well-rounded circulation of news helps broaden your media perspective and should balance out the bias. This does take a bit of work, as you have to make a conscious effort to get to this point – and it may be a bit of a trial and error process until you find what works for you, but I believe it’s worth it.

            To supplement your media sources, I think it’s also important to pay attention to different opinions around the news. Again, not just the ones that voice themselves within your normal circle, but those that live in other realms and are likely to be different that than what you normally see. If you keep your mind open, this will help you see things in new lights and improve your own way of thinking about them.

            It’s easy to get caught up in our own little universes without even realizing it, and that’s not always a bad thing, but I guess this is just my reminder to you to take a step outside of that and be aware of the rest of the world – especially when it needs you to be paying attention most, like now. Be aware, educate yourself, and allow it to change how you interact with the world socially and politically.

All my love,
Sam