The news of the assassination attempt of Donald Trump electrified the nation and dominated news coverage for days. We tend to look for meaning and explanations after such events, and that leads some of us to retreat to our respective corners and revert to our existing narratives. Within hours, conspiracy theories began to appear on the social media, gun control advocates seized upon the opportunity, and highly politicized partisans quickly began blaming each other. None of that has been helpful.
One of the most difficult things about writing an opinion column after dramatic events is trying to offer a perspective that has not already been beaten to death by the pundits in the news media. This column will be such an attempt.
With some exceptions, the nation’s political class has called for a return to civilized discussion and mutually respectful disagreement in order to turn down the temperature on our discourse. We’ve heard that before, and this column has been calling for that for years. But our history reveals that we soon return to hyperbole, hyperventilating and open hostility as soon as we perceive the political stakes rising in importance, especially at election time.
The late Charles Krauthammer once said that we crossed the Rubicon when we stopped saying, “I think you’re wrong,” and started saying, “I think you’re evil.” At that point, people come to believe that they are engaged, not in a policy dispute, but in a moral crusade, and we come to believe that all the forces of right and righteousness are on our side. We then suspend all attempts at mutual understanding and start making judgements instead. From there, the natural outcome is the demonization of all who oppose us, and then the temptation of the most emotionally committed or unstable to engage in acts of violence becomes manifest.
It is obvious that we need to “turn down the temperature,” but simply doing that has proven to be only a temporary respite until the next jugular issue comes along. Yes, we buried the hatchet after the last spasm of open hostility, but the problem is that we never forget where we buried it.
What the nation really needs now is a paradigm shift, i.e., a new way of looking at the world around us and seeing it through a different mindset. This writer respectfully suggests that the key word here is interdependence.
When we are very young, we are totally dependent upon others, usually our parents, to provide for us. Then as we grow older, we seek to become independent. We come to the erroneous conclusion that life is a straight-line continuum, beginning with dependence and ending with independence. But that’s wrong. Independence is only the halfway point in what the late Stephen Covey called the “maturity continuum.” The true end point is the realization that we are all interdependent.
The dependent person’s statement is, “I can get what I want from others.” The independent person’s statement is, “I can get what I want on my own.” But the mindset of the mature interdependent person is, “I can get what I want on my own and with the cooperation of others.”
Our mutually hostile political camps have failed to recognize the reality that we live in an interdependent country and an interdependent world. There may be no greater cause of human conflict than trying to behave independently in an interdependent reality. That’s true of families, organizations and nations.
If we would all just recognize that, then we can open ourselves to the idea that seeking win-win solutions is the only way forward. We would come to understand that trying to destroy those with whom we are actually interdependent (win-lose) is ultimately self-destructive. We will never move forward as a society if we continue along our current path of mutual destruction and personal demonization. We must reject all of the self-serving bomb throwers whose influence on the 24-hour news cycle and the social media is exaggerated far beyond their actual acumen. Their programs and posts are destructive, and we need to stop watching, clicking and reposting. Those of us who think we can continue constant exposure to such influences and remain immune are kidding ourselves. Repeat a narrative-reinforcing lie often enough and we will come to believe it.
If we would just listen respectfully to each other with the intent of understanding instead of arguing back, and with the realization that our interdependent reality requires win-win solutions, we just may have a chance to begin working together toward resolving the challenges that face our nation and indeed the entire world.
Joseph Filko has taught economics and American government, and lives in Williamsburg. He can be reached at jfilko1944@gmail.com.
