We are all entitled to our own opinions, but we're not entitled to our own facts. To combat this, the role of UNBIASED journalism is critically important. Unfortunately, I think too many in the legacy corporate media, for the purposes of profit and ratings, are the conflict entrepreneurs that Ms Henley described.
I've been having more and more of these types of "high conflict" conversations with people I'm ordinarily pretty close with. And it's tiring, Amanda is right. I've lost some friends to it. I have to keep reminding myself that I have much more in common with these people, or even people in general, than I do in opposition. And if I seek that commonality, the differences that are being amplified by current events seem to shrink. As others in the comments have mentioned, getting off of social media to have engaged, 1-on-1 conversations is key. Put the humanity back in relationships, leave tech out of that space if you're trying to heal and bond especially.
All I can say to help is: meet the one you wish to talk to personally or using audio plus video alive. Do not use social media to convey your thoughts. You will be way more respectful and feel more connected to the other person, which can be your colleague or your son!
Thank you for this. What I've been doing is looking at past events in Canada to put this into perspective. BC 1983, the awful labor disputes of the 70's, the three elections Duplessis won between revoking a liquor license and the Supreme Court decision holding him personally liable. I see individuals in the indigenous community rising above their awful circumstances and laying the groundwork for their communities to piece themselves back together. I see people like you that walk away from the corrupt and smothering institutions that thrive on division and hate.
This is a new generation being handed a basically working country and figuring out a way to make it work, mostly by making mistake after mistake, just as their parents and grandparents did.
My husband and I were just discussing how to move forward with colleagues and family members who seem so enraged by our position that our government has over reached. The emergency measures debate had to be turned off in our home this am. We cannot believe what is happening. We read your timely interview and appreciate the advice. In our opinion, every Canadian citizen ought to consider this invoking of emergency measures seperately from personal opinions about mandates and vaccines. Don't get caught up in the us vs. them divisive game. Our charter of rights and freedoms is the only story. Protecting it should unite us all.
I think the problem is that the Federal Liberal party and the Prime Minister are conflict entrepreneurs. They passed the mandates to create a wedge issue to use against the Conservatives. They ran an election hoping to win on Covid. Every single thing Trudeau has done has been appealing to his base at the expense of the millions of ordinary people he first insulted and is now bankrupting and intimidating by seizing their assets without any judicial oversight.
Government's and politicians like to divide and conquer. It is a tried and true ploy that has helped politicians keep their voter base even if the voters don't really want to vote for them. That is how they keep control of people. You vote for this or that.
They call it strategic voting.
The problem with strategic voting is that it keeps the bad parties in power. You vote out one bad party for a perceived lesser evil.
The problem with the lesser evil is that it plays into the hands of the psychological manipulation in which the political parties use to strike fear into the voting public.
I never vote for this or that. I look at what I believe in and if that means voting for an independent, so be it. The cards will fall where they fall.
This is an amazing article. I am so grateful to have read it and it makes me feel like there are things that I can do to more fully understand the current situation better. Thank you
Being insanely curious in an environment where any of your fire starters exist is like leaving the propane running... you won't be allowed to be curious for long. Curious to know how she would propose one would keep themselves safe and retain their values in these environments.
(From someone who is insanely curious 24/7 and has uncovered ungodly amounts of fraud, corruption, and blackmail in high places and paid dearly for it.)
This is exactly what happened in the US if you voted for Trump. Families and friendships ruined over differences in political beliefs. The same rhetoric too: the truckers are misogynistic and racist and so were the Trump voters. This was constantly stoked by the legacy media and the politicians, and it still is in the US. I heard the Attorney General of Canada make a reference to “pro-Trump supporters” helping to find the truckers, and how this may be illegal. I never thought that I would see this happen in Canada, but there it is. It seems that the same class war exists strongly in both countries.
With my conflict the Government took my Mothers WILL then they took my Accident monies and finally they sold the house I was born in and was handed down through my family by dispensing my name off the title. So now that I lost two jobs fighting for the truth and no home to live in. This will be happening to more people every day. Slowly but surely!
Excellent article, thank you! I have consciously moved more towards Buddhist teachings and practice in order to stay sane in this situation of extreme polarization of views. That means constantly letting go of fixed positions and tuning in to the greater field of love, unity, and beauty that is there for all of us always. It doesn’t mean avoiding what’s going on but rather choosing to engage in a way that promotes peace and equanimity rather than fuels the conflict. It also doesn’t mean I don’t get angry, outraged, and reactive. But I try to encompass these difficult feelings within a larger human and spiritual frame. It’s my way of getting “untrapped” in this seemingly impossible situation.
We are all entitled to our own opinions, but we're not entitled to our own facts. To combat this, the role of UNBIASED journalism is critically important. Unfortunately, I think too many in the legacy corporate media, for the purposes of profit and ratings, are the conflict entrepreneurs that Ms Henley described.
I've been having more and more of these types of "high conflict" conversations with people I'm ordinarily pretty close with. And it's tiring, Amanda is right. I've lost some friends to it. I have to keep reminding myself that I have much more in common with these people, or even people in general, than I do in opposition. And if I seek that commonality, the differences that are being amplified by current events seem to shrink. As others in the comments have mentioned, getting off of social media to have engaged, 1-on-1 conversations is key. Put the humanity back in relationships, leave tech out of that space if you're trying to heal and bond especially.
Excellent article.
“Seek first to understand”
All I can say to help is: meet the one you wish to talk to personally or using audio plus video alive. Do not use social media to convey your thoughts. You will be way more respectful and feel more connected to the other person, which can be your colleague or your son!
Thank you for this. What I've been doing is looking at past events in Canada to put this into perspective. BC 1983, the awful labor disputes of the 70's, the three elections Duplessis won between revoking a liquor license and the Supreme Court decision holding him personally liable. I see individuals in the indigenous community rising above their awful circumstances and laying the groundwork for their communities to piece themselves back together. I see people like you that walk away from the corrupt and smothering institutions that thrive on division and hate.
This is a new generation being handed a basically working country and figuring out a way to make it work, mostly by making mistake after mistake, just as their parents and grandparents did.
Thank you Tara,
My husband and I were just discussing how to move forward with colleagues and family members who seem so enraged by our position that our government has over reached. The emergency measures debate had to be turned off in our home this am. We cannot believe what is happening. We read your timely interview and appreciate the advice. In our opinion, every Canadian citizen ought to consider this invoking of emergency measures seperately from personal opinions about mandates and vaccines. Don't get caught up in the us vs. them divisive game. Our charter of rights and freedoms is the only story. Protecting it should unite us all.
I think the problem is that the Federal Liberal party and the Prime Minister are conflict entrepreneurs. They passed the mandates to create a wedge issue to use against the Conservatives. They ran an election hoping to win on Covid. Every single thing Trudeau has done has been appealing to his base at the expense of the millions of ordinary people he first insulted and is now bankrupting and intimidating by seizing their assets without any judicial oversight.
I am so glad I'm off FB now, best decision I w er made. I can just imagine how many friendships would be ruined by now.
Government's and politicians like to divide and conquer. It is a tried and true ploy that has helped politicians keep their voter base even if the voters don't really want to vote for them. That is how they keep control of people. You vote for this or that.
They call it strategic voting.
The problem with strategic voting is that it keeps the bad parties in power. You vote out one bad party for a perceived lesser evil.
The problem with the lesser evil is that it plays into the hands of the psychological manipulation in which the political parties use to strike fear into the voting public.
I never vote for this or that. I look at what I believe in and if that means voting for an independent, so be it. The cards will fall where they fall.
With my conflict started when lies were told and the Courts got involved and carried on to this day!
This is an amazing article. I am so grateful to have read it and it makes me feel like there are things that I can do to more fully understand the current situation better. Thank you
Being insanely curious in an environment where any of your fire starters exist is like leaving the propane running... you won't be allowed to be curious for long. Curious to know how she would propose one would keep themselves safe and retain their values in these environments.
(From someone who is insanely curious 24/7 and has uncovered ungodly amounts of fraud, corruption, and blackmail in high places and paid dearly for it.)
This is exactly what happened in the US if you voted for Trump. Families and friendships ruined over differences in political beliefs. The same rhetoric too: the truckers are misogynistic and racist and so were the Trump voters. This was constantly stoked by the legacy media and the politicians, and it still is in the US. I heard the Attorney General of Canada make a reference to “pro-Trump supporters” helping to find the truckers, and how this may be illegal. I never thought that I would see this happen in Canada, but there it is. It seems that the same class war exists strongly in both countries.
With my conflict the Government took my Mothers WILL then they took my Accident monies and finally they sold the house I was born in and was handed down through my family by dispensing my name off the title. So now that I lost two jobs fighting for the truth and no home to live in. This will be happening to more people every day. Slowly but surely!
Excellent article, thank you! I have consciously moved more towards Buddhist teachings and practice in order to stay sane in this situation of extreme polarization of views. That means constantly letting go of fixed positions and tuning in to the greater field of love, unity, and beauty that is there for all of us always. It doesn’t mean avoiding what’s going on but rather choosing to engage in a way that promotes peace and equanimity rather than fuels the conflict. It also doesn’t mean I don’t get angry, outraged, and reactive. But I try to encompass these difficult feelings within a larger human and spiritual frame. It’s my way of getting “untrapped” in this seemingly impossible situation.