Skip to main content

A State of Calm - how we are ignorantly becoming more divisive

Sunday 14th July 2019 was billed as a sporting blockbuster, destined to go down in the history books of British sport. Lewis Hamilton the favourite to win his home grand prix. Two all-time greats of tennis contesting the final on the greens of Wimbledon. And just a few miles down the road, England taking on New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup final. It was made to be spectacular.

Yet you'd have scoffed at even the most convincing of psychics if they'd told you what would unfold in the eight hours subsequent to Chris Woakes' first ball at Lord's. 

I need not explain. For an avid lover of two of those sports, tennis and cricket - and a previous childhood fascination with F1 too - the day was an emotional rollercoaster for me. Supporting the defeated Roger Federer in a topsy-turvy Wimbledon final, and all the whilst supporting England, victorious by the skin of their teeth. 

One success of that magnitude was more than satisfying. But the tension drained my emotions, both positive and negative. And it has left me with a placid satisfaction at everything that I see right now.  

Even now, two days later, I have everything I could ask for. No more nagging desires, no burning satisfactions, no more small frustrations at social media or people. Complete serenity. 

I'm not stupid enough to know that this is temporary (for how long, I have no clue), but the aforementioned state of mind has made me realise a lot when it comes to division I feel is so prevalent in society. And given previous erratic writings, an emotionless one will be interesting for me to analyse a while down the line. 

Especially with the rise of social media, and political freedom nowadays, the way people have attempted to push their views on others has become more and more dramatic throughout the last few years. There seems to be more divisiveness than ever, even in an age of increasing acceptance of all races, genders and sexualities. 

You might point to particular individuals, groups or organisations - and that is fine, everyone carries some of the blame after all, many through no fault of their own - but in doing so, you miss the real, more inward-looking issue. 

I feel as though everyone acts as a result of a combination of both environment and experiences, which it could be argued are rather similar. Everything that we see as we grow up, as we get older and develop is stored subconsciously into shaping our moral, social and political views - and perhaps even more than that. 

Naturally, that characterises our emotion, making us all mentally unique. Those emotions, be it be anger or calmness, sadness or happiness, fulfilment or emptiness, are all a product of experiences. Without considering why any given person might be acting the way they are, without considering their emotion-shaping experiences, we get nowhere in understanding what we need to do to stop divisiveness. 

That is all abstract - but that is how we can become a more tolerant, respectful and kind society that takes into account people's opinions, upbringings and why they have those opinions. 

It is all well and good suggesting everyone's allowed an opinion and that's that, but I believe we have to learn to consider why someone may have one. Likewise, it's fine to challenge someone on a view, as long as you don't let emotion get in the way. 

My aforementioned calmness can be seen as emotion itself, but it's born out of a product of satisfaction of everything that I can control in my life. There are larger problems in the world, smaller problems for others and whilst I'll do all I can to solve those, it is useless chastising people for their inability to act, for their mistakes and for their views. 

All I can control, I can challenge with placidity, respect and understanding. For they are the peaceful emotions that stop division.

Writing with emotion, caused by certain experiences, is what I've based most of my blog on. Whether that be relief, frustration, sadness, irrationality, it has characterised my writings, which are dictated by a particular point I wish to bring to mind. It often blocks out my rational views.

Thinking with emotion, caused by certain experiences, is what we base most of our lives on. Whether that be relief, frustration, sadness, irrationality, it characterises our lives, which are dictated by a particular path we want to take.

Is each emotion blocking our rational decision making? That's something we need to ponder each time we make a decision or judgement. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Divisive politics: In defence of the "woke"

Waking up the morning of November 8th, to the new of Donald Trump's re-election as U.S President - I sighed. There was none of the shock or disappointment of his initial election eight years earlier, or the anger and incredulity of 6th January 2021, where Trump's emboldened supporters stormed the U.S Capitol building for the most ridiculous coup d'état attempt.  No, instead, there was a grim sense of inevitability about the most divisive figure in modern global politics becoming the most powerful man in the world for a second time.  Trump's election is symbolic. For this is a man who, since his formal intention to run for President in 2015 - has thrived on propelling division and hatred. Some of his many moments include  questioning  the legitimacy of Obama's birth certificate, making policy announcements on social media, and telling people to drink bleach to protect against COVID-19.  It comes at a time where society seems at a crossroads, as social media misin...
Post a Comment
Read more

With an election upon us, we must make sure to get some long-awaited change

 Hasn’t the last five years felt like a long time?  In the run up to the December 2019 General Election four and a half years ago, I remember using social media to say “do your own research, and go vote for whatever you believe in”. There was, and still is, some reason in that - youth turnout in politics is still so lamentably low, and it’s partly why we see political change that does nothing to help young people. So do please vote on Thursday. But perhaps I was overly naïve in the run-up to that election, because things are a lot different now. In 2019, I was disenfranchised with the political system, cynical of all politicians looking to support their own political careers. After the wave of Jeremy Corbyn’s unexpected result in 2017,  why was it to be too different this time? And would it have had that much of a consequence? The last five years have laid bare everything I could - and maybe should - have learnt before. There are no positive words to describe what Boris J...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gen Z and the concerning growth of individualism

 The phrase "now or never" is often overused hyperbole. Yet it does at least feel like we are reaching a tipping point in society, and one that is fracturing a growing chasm between younger generations. With the digital revolution empowering people to control their own consumption and interaction with the world, Gen Z are choosing individualism over unity.  Online safety has dominated the headlines recently, with Stephen Graham's gripping Netflix drama Adolescence  charting the pervasive dangers of the 'manosphere', the Andrew Tate-like content that young men and teenage boys are increasingly turning towards. These influencers are weaponising culture wars, stoking division in young people through gender lines.  Adolescence (Netflix) It is no surprise then, that recent data from Ipsos UK and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London highlights that Gen Z men and women are the most divided generation when it comes to the subject of gender ...
Post a Comment
Read more