Us vs. Them

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32UsThem
U.S. elections are always the same. People get entrenched in an “us versus them” mentality. “We’re good, they’re bad.” “We know what we’re talking about – they don’t.”
It just doesn’t work that way, people.
We have this tendency to create dichotomies in our lives – to separate ourselves from those whom we believe are different from us, and therefore, wrong. Psychotherapist Melanie Klein referred to this as “splitting.”
We lament:

  • “Things would be great if only they would stop acting that way.”
  • “Life would be better if only they agreed with me.”
  • “All problems would be solved if only they changed their behavior.”

Spiritual-religious news flash: there is no “they.”
The problem isn’t with “them” – it’s with us. It’s you. It’s me. And us.
We are the problem.
If we want change, we must work from the inside.
Until we start treating everyone with compassion – including them – nothing will ever change.
Spiritual-religious advice:
Realize you are part of the problem.
With love,
i best

Refractory Anxiety

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No words. No words.

To offset our discomfort about our upcoming visit to the Terezín (in German: Theresienstadt) concentration camp/ghetto, Emmett and I fall into making dark jokes. Gallows humor. “Do you think they still give free tattoos upon arrival?” “Want to wear matching pajamas for our tour?” Dark, ugly jokes.  Because reality is just too overwhelming. The feelings are too overwhelming. So we

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Has anyone seen my keys?!

Jane and the kids misplace keys. Not me. I don’t. I always return my key to the keyrack. That’s where they go. When the key isn’t on the hook, which happens from time to time, I find it on some surface in the house. Usually, the kitchen table. Then, without fanfare, I pick it up, hang it up, and restrain

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77% Weekly Newsletter
77% Weekly Newsletter