“Is the Place You live in Your Community? (City, State, Nation, Global Relationships)”
First off — I’m not advocating nationalism or jingoism; however, this doesn’t mean that I’m not proud to be Amerian — I am! Also, I don’t consider myself to be xenophobic, or against a “non-American” identity. If it wasn’t for my immigrant mother I wouldn’t exist.
All the more, despite the corporations you work for and/or the governments you might feel oppressed by… please refrain from scanning pretexts, assuming contexts, to perpetuate your assumption errors about my arguments:)
Being curious is a virtue. Paying attention to details is also a virtue. That said, let dissonance (paradox of being proud to be American) be your virtuous superpower! In fact, your political opinions are spam-pollution, if you unknowingly share sensational political news without considering what I’m about to say in this article:)
Patriotism is a prejudice that we should all overcome. The lottery of birth and the random accident of genetics make us all importantly unique.
The place you interact in within time and space oftentimes makes up the place you live in. I think most people would agree with me, right? This place sometimes makes up what you call your community. Typically, the place we inhabit is called our community, if I’m not mistaken.
Some of us are emigrants. And some of us are from families of immigrants, if I’m not mistaken. And some of us like to take trips/go on “mini-vacations” — sometimes without even leaving our home’s; when we’re on social media, for example.
In my opinion, we don’t define the place we live in, as much as it defines us. This is, in other words, unfortunate, because, we don’t shape culture — as much as culture shapes us.
Are you American because now you have a visa; or are you Italian because you work out a lot, love using hand-gestures, eat pasta, and had a great-grandmother, actually from Italy?
Furthermore, how many democrats wish conservatives could see like them?, and vise versa. How many religious people wish atheists could see like them?, and vise versa. How many ideologues wish religious institutions would just get what they’re perpetuating?, and vise versa. How many people feel out of place in their _______, and/or when around ________? How many people disagree with stereotypes, and/or agree with social constructions? Are Jews cheap or/and clever, rich? Are Whites trash or/and privileged? Are Mexicans hard workers that sacrifice for the greater good of an enclave, group, family unit? This level of thinking, and sloppy question-asking is what I call: naïve psychology and sociology. This is the garbage marketers need to perpetuate in order to control your mind. Moreover, many psychological and sociological studies face a replication crisis, among many other fallacies. I digress.
If you ask me — which some don’t, because I’m pre-judged as being dispossessed, younger, not as intelligent, not as rich, not successful, a failure in business, a marketing fraud that lies about future outcomes, etcetera — I’d tell you that many labels and categories are ridiculous, and over-generalized. Simplified nonsense. The impetus of speculative errors.
However, our culture(s) programs us against our will to communicate in a language consisting of superficial variables. “You guys (*addressing a group of women*).” “Because I’m Black.” “That girl is so White.” “That’s gay.” “I’m not religious.”
In fact, how many define their “community” like ISIS does? In other words, if you become forced to be the leader of a nation, how many would become a dictator?” I’m willing to bet most of us — to an extent. After all, people that join ISIS, do so because they want to live in a world where people have a moral code.
Depending on where you’re framing your empathy, what social norms you’re obeying, our moral code can be dubious, ill-defined. If one of two types of people got in the way of a self-driving bus — that you happen to own — whom would you program it to kill; and how did you arrive at that decision? You probably included people you loved/liked; or people like “those people.” You probably also want to segregate your emotions into an easy to understand, simple, cozy, squishy, campy, “community.” In fact, this is what many cutting-edge marketers are doing to control individuals and crowds. They’re wrapping up and packaging these emotions of belonging, that you’re feeling when subscribing to a brand, and defining it as “community.” However — I’m arguing that Community is much more profound than simply having a sense of belonging.
Governments have to make morally dubious decisions all the time. In other words, if a cop has to go and rescue 2 separate situations, what happens? If because they took too long breaking up a domestic dispute between a husband and wife, a tragedy happened to an innocent victim in need of the cops, happening in the same moment — and the public paid with their taxes for this.
Why the independent individual is, in reality, dependent on those in their community
How many of us need and desire a commentary that reflects our value’s?
Just because you disagree or are dispossessed within hierarchies and leadership structures — doesn’t always mean your identity has to suffer. Poor people oppressed by the inability to utilize long stretches of time, can strategize a method for mobility. And if mobility is not what they are seeking –because most people don’t want to move up or down in status — they can sacrifice for the mobility of their family.
Moreover, mindfulness is a challenge when you’re on the wrong side of history. It’s a challenge when the group, mob, gang, organization, institution(s), et cetera, takes away your free will to express your value’s. To some, these institutions don’t make up your identity. If you disagree with your government you have the option to mobilize, or move away (that is, luckily — some of us do — sometimes.) However, even though we disagree with our families, friends, neighbors, teachers, et cetera, it doesn’t mean these institutions don’t belong in our Community.
If you feel powerless, you’re not alone. In fact, I’ve felt proud to identify with institutions that I disagree with. The social constructions that label us aren’t as profound as the actions that characterize us. We like to cherry-pick features and abstractions about cultures — to express our dignity and uniqueness. This, for instance, makes America great.
How much do you want to abuse me for uttering those words! In fact, I bet some people are cooking up some lazy, naïve sociological story, in the form of a vague label and category.
When we’re feeling bored, frustrated, or full of anxiety our natural tendency is to seek out groups, organizations, and cults — -we call our “communities.” Often times these “communities” divide — and narrow our world views. Their insularity handicaps us. Their demarcated boundaries cause tension. This tension is what makes us human. It’s also what creates innovation. It challenges us to think across an intellectual chasm. Its tribal bias doesn’t destroy a larger community.
Many start-ups might actually not become a statistic of failing if they exposed their product to other markets, and other conversations that can create a narrative more profound then…
Do you live in your community?
It’s okay to not have an opinion all the time. It’s okay to be confused. A lot of wisdom comes out of confusion. The stories our environments’ try to program us to believe can be inescapable. You might live in a Community, consisting of oppressive institutions (e.g. family; work; Civic groups; etc…). Nevertheless — you are responsible for the interactions that demarcate your existence.
Even though your mind is somewhere else — you still exist in the place you areà at work; with your family; around acquaintances; etc…
When an ambulance, police officer, fire-fighter, military official, etcetera, responds to the call of duty –that is to protect and increase social fulfillment on your behalf — they are keeping your community intact.
The taxes you pay –even though you disagree with how they are spent — go to the greater good of keeping your community habitable.
Your driver’s license describes who you are in the moment. The past is gone and the future doesn’t exist. However, this doesn’t mean that we should allow marketers and politicians to divide us, and cause us to fight with one another. Our ancestors want us to realize more. The wise leaders of our past would be sad to see a community that lacks social intelligence:
“Do on to others as they would want done onto themselves” ~ Quote unknown
P.S. → Here’s something to think about, that I’m turning into a chapter:
“The Ignorance of Othering Tribes, and the Collapse of Community”
Everyone is in a tribe — and if not, you might be: an anomic psychopath, sociopath, imprisoned in your head, or a self-deluded narcissist.
The social and emotional intelligence to see others observing us is an uncomfortable practice. Most people hate getting on stage; most people hate going to networking events where they know no one; most people don’t open an empathetic heart to “other people,” …let alone …“other tribes” … that we don’t share one thing in common with. Open-minded people close their minds when their tribal beliefs are threatened.
In our tribes, some of us choose to show up some of the time. Outside of our tribes we mock our community. Texas is not the same thing as Texas.
We encircle our comfortable cliques and shackle our enemy: making sense of confusing dissonance. At the end of the day (or however much time we allot to research and scientific thinking), we have to stand on a strong opinion, in order to not live in a crossfire — labelled a “conspiracy theorist;” or worse, “un-opinionated;” “pseudo-intellectual;” “quack;” “idiot.”
That said, many brilliant leaders will tell you that the victory for wisdom and intelligence comes when we love our enemies. In fact, I would say the key to happiness, and understanding the complexity of society, happens when we learn to: appreciate as much as we can; love our enemies; have faith in ourselves and in others; and do all of this — with a proud humility.
Why? Because every tribe needs followers; and every community deserves respect and awe.
Regrettably, I see a lot of intelligent people taking things for granted. It’s a mistake to equate one’s followers as: dutiful, docile, lambs that only listen, take notes, and acquiesce on bended knees — because you’re the leader and master and lord.
You stand in your perfection on a pedestal, with a Beyonce song piped in the background — your aura is prolific! Just because someone “follows” you, doesn’t mean they aren’t a “leader.” In fact, you will be let down if you build a tribe of mindless followers.
According to Seth Godin, mindless followers, are “not going to do the local leadership required when tribe members interact … What’s more, “they’re not going to do a very good job of recruiting new members to your tribe [either] (Page 53/Tribes).”
“People don’t participate merely to remind each other of the status quo.
…The art of leadership is understanding what you can’t compromise on.”(Tribes by Seth Godin)
With a soft heart and a courageous mind to open up to “the other tribes” …I believe we — and better than we — our community, will reap the optimism in humanity we sow.
