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Us and Them

Us and Them

So it seems loyalty has become another one of those trigger words. I’ve always preferred to think of it as a favorable trait with honor but unfortunately, lately, it’s morphed into this twisted blind obedience thing that’s somehow become yet one more of a hundred and one political scandals. I don’t know about you but I’m tired of all the drama. Our leadership drama has spiraled out of control so completely that it no longer serves the vast majority of us. Issues that have never been, nor should be now, have suddenly become politicized. It’s hard to watch as our leaders drag us down this twisted, no compromise, win at all costs, path. The ruins left behind in that wake serve no one and sadly I’m afraid I’ve been as guilty as anyone for buying into it for much too long. There is a better way. 

Us and them
Listen to your leaders when they speak and you will hear a lot about “us and them”. “Us and them” is an easy way to manipulate people into backing your point of view. As soon as there is a “them” our lizard brains kick in. They alert us that there is danger. When we sense danger we tend to rally around our “us’s” and vilify the “thems”. But what happens when we dig a little deeper? What happens when we study and understand the issues, then follow the money to see who really wins and loses? What happens when we forget about “us and them” and instead of letting fear guide us, look at a situation with a little more empathy and compassion? 

When we default to “us and them” we lose our ability to be objective. We forget that there are real-life consequences for the people we label as “them”. What we fail to realize is there is no real “us” and there is no real “them” because today while you may be an “us”, tomorrow you could just as easily become a “them”.  The callousness with which we so quickly condemn “them”s in this world is nothing more than fear-based aggression. In a free society, we have every right to question our leaders and must hold them to a higher standard. We must stop being so willing to surrender to fear and, instead, support leaders who also allow for empathy, compassion and "we". WE are better than “us and them”. 

We are better than being lead by fear.