Whew, election week is wrapping up, so hopefully, we can look forward to less hostile rhetoric about over-simplified issues. Because the truth is, no matter what the media, in all of its toxic forms, tells us, issues are not black and white. Almost every person, every issue, every problem, holds paradox.
We have a strong tendency to shove aspects of our lives into clearly defined spaces. Things are wrong or right. People are good or bad. Social media and the press, in their mad desire to attract and keep our attention, don’t want to make the time or space to discuss the intricacies and complications of issues.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. We can decide to embrace paradox, to hold conflicting facts and opinions at the same time.
Instead of approaching life from an “either/or” and “this or that” mentality, imagine what could happen if we all did a better job of thinking, “yes, but” or “not only, but also”, or “what if?” I’m guessing if we spent less time categorizing and more time exercising curiosity, this world would be a happier, more peaceful, more accepting place.
I’m super into the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast these days. Kelly is tackling issues like this, searching for ways to be better and explore “what could be.” In one of her recent episodes, she interviewed Dr. Clara Oropeza, an English professor at Santa Barbara City College, to talk about the value of critical thinking that is attained through reading literature. It’s part of her “Live from College” series in which she is traveling to campuses around the country to figure out the value of a liberal arts education.
Toward the end of the interview, as the two women discussed the value of being able to embrace complicated, paradoxical issues, Dr. Oropeza quoted the writer Maxine Hong Kingston (author of The Woman Warrior.)
I learned to make my mind large, as the universe is large, so that there is room for paradoxes.
Maxine Hong Kingston
Wow. Isn’t that fantastic?
Have a great weekend everyone, and may you learn to make your mind large and allow room for paradox.
Do you know who pays the police officers who protect your community? Or provides the money and plans to update critical infrastructure like public water and roads where you live? Or who funds the local school system?
In other words, do you pay attention to the government officials who affect your daily life?
The media likes to focus on Washington. The politicians up there are more interesting, or at least that’s what Twitter and the big newspapers would like us to believe. Yet reading stories and hearing sound bites of lawmakers calling each other names does little to convince us that the government works for our benefit.
In fact, some experts connect the rise in extremist groups and political violence to the helplessness many people feel about what is happening in our country. We hear so much about how locked up Congress is we think nothing we do, by voting or otherwise, will positively impact our lives. Some of us are growing frustrated and desperate. Hence, the uptick in violent rhetoric.
When we find ourselves getting upset about the latest national debate, we should remember what we have access to and influence upon: local government. Our local councils and boards have significant impact on our daily lives, but sadly, few of us choose to pay attention. According to a 2018 Johns Hopkins University study of 1500 people, many Americans lack basic civic knowledge. For example, 25% of people interviewed for the study didn’t know if federal or state government was in charge of law enforcement or which governmental bodies make and enforce zoning laws. Benjamin Ginsberg, a professor of politics at Johns Hopkins, said about the results of the study, “Lack of attention could lead not just to an uninformed public, but to an environment where special interest politics and corruption flourish.”
Lack of attention could lead not just to an uninformed public, but to an environment where special interest politics and corruption flourish.”
Benjamin Ginsberg, Professor of politics at Johns Hopkins University
If that’s not a call to action, I’m not sure what is.
Most of the time, local government focuses on helping people in a community live safe and healthy lives. But sometimes, there are bad players who act in self-serving ways. What is your local and state government doing to improve your life? What do you need to be concerned about? You won’t know unless you pay attention.
As Election Day approaches, I encourage you to pay attention to your local government. Use resources like your county or state election sites to find out who is running for what office. Do a little research on the candidates to try and determine who has the best qualities to represent and serve your area. To learn more about your locality’s ballot, visit Ballotpedia or your county website.
Outside of election seasons, we still need to pay attention to and support what our local governments are doing for our communities. How are they planning their budgets? Are they updating infrastructure? How are they supporting education?
Please note that “paying attention to and supporting” does not translate to complaining. It means staying informed about the issues and figuring out how we, as members of a community, can contribute to solutions. Let’s stop wasting our energy and time getting angry about overly simplified national trigger issues. Let’s work with local government to make our communities healthy, happy places to thrive.
How do you stay informed about what your local government is doing? Do you plan to vote on November 8? I hope so!
We were sitting in the school parking lot, 8am on a foggy October morning. My son occupied the driver’s seat because he’s got his learner’s now, and we are doing the whole he drives to school and we switch in the parking lot bit. He had pulled out his N95 mask to put on before entering the school building. His thumb played at the edge of the folded mask, but he couldn’t pull the sides apart.
I leaned closer to him. “Maybe try another spot and it will be easier.”
He turned his incredulous 16 year old eyes upon me. “I’ve got it, Mom.”
And sure enough, a few seconds later, he pulled the mask open. Before he left the car, and I switched to the driver’s side, he paused. “You know Mom, I made an interesting observation during English MACC practice the other day.”
“Yes?”
“The word ‘mothering’ is just one letter away from ‘smothering’.”
Ouch. The truth hurts.
However, this is child number four, the last one at home. After parenting for over 20 years, I’m getting better at listening, better at being curious about and processing the things my kids say before I respond. It’s been a long, hard road to humility, and I’m not finished, but I’m making progress. Because of that progress, I could say to my kid, “You know what, that’s a good point. We mean well, but sometimes moms tip over into overbearing.”
“Or smothering,” he added.
“Right. I’ll try to remember that in the future.”
He nodded. Before he left the car, I said, “But buddy, I hope you appreciate that I’m way better about smothering than I used to be, and you’re reaping the benefits of that, as number four.” Just ask number one, I thought, but didn’t say.
He shrugged. “Yeah, I can see that.”
We get along pretty well, me and number four. Things are quite chill with just three of us at home now. Which is a good thing, because I’m tired. However, with age comes not only fatigue, but some wisdom. I’m thankful that all of my years of working on respectful, honest communication within my family could pay off on a random October morning. My son spoke to me thoughtfully, and I responded thoughtfully. No yelling, no sarcasm, no hurt.
I’m not saying all that stuff won’t pop up another day. I’ve been doing this gig long enough to know that nothing is ever off the table, and we all, kids and parents, have low days. Those are the days it’s hard to remember that mothering is one small squiggly letter away from smothering.
But I will do my best.
What wisdom can you share, either as a child or a parent? This Word Nerd wants to know!
Ever heard someone use the term “cyber bubble?” How about “filter bubble?” Even more important, have you ever considered that you exist in a “filter bubble?”
Well, I’m here today to tell you that you DO. So do I. And we all need to start popping our filter bubbles. Now.
An important term to recognize: Filter Bubble
Internet activist Eli Pariser coined the term “Filter Bubble“ over a decade ago. According to Pariser, filter bubbles exist because search engines and social media platforms use algorithms to personalize the information we see. That seriously limits our vision of the world. While having a personalized internet experience can be nice, that means the Internet is showing us what it thinks we want to see, or what it wants us to see.It is not showing us what we need to see. And what we need to see is the whole picture. Not just the picture we agree with or are comfortable with. We need to engage with ideas and information that contradict what we already think. And to do that, we need to get outside of our filter bubble.
Another term to know: confirmation bias
According to Psychology Today,confirmation bias happens when we seek out information to justify our stance on something. Because of this, we tend to find information that backs up our ideas. This partially explains why people will believe fake news – because it supports what they already believe or want to believe.
When people would like a certain idea or concept to be true, they end up believing it to be true. They are motivated by wishful thinking. This error leads the individual to stop gathering information when the evidence gathered so far confirms the views or prejudices one would like to be true.
Psychology Today website
Dr.Shahram Heshmat Ph.D suggests that a great way to combat bias and filter is to look for information that proves your idea wrong. He says, “This is perhaps a true definition of self-confidence: the ability to look at the world without the need to look for instances that please your ego.”
Simmons University has more suggestions for combating filter bubbles, including:
Use the search engine Duck, Duck, Go which does not store your search data and therefore does not affect your search results like algorithm driven models
Check out the site All Sidesto get more balanced news.
Read articles and follow podcasts that present differing opinions and information on the same subject. I’m a fan of The Argument, a podcast hosted by Jane Coastenthat usually features debates between at least two people who have different viewpoints on the same subject. Not only does it give me valuable ideas to consider, it also serves as a model for respectful discussion.
Why it’s important to know and understand filter bubbles and bias
I realize the concept of bias isn’t a huge revelation for many of you. But consider this: Eli Parisier gave his TED Talk in 2011. Way back then he was warning us about the dangers of bias, and we (and the media companies) didn’t do much about it. Eleven years later, we find ourselves in a very hostile and tribal social climate that is dysfunctional at best. To function as an effective democracy, we must be able to discuss different ideas. We must explore and accept multiple possibilities about what might work best for the people of our country. We cannot control what happens in Congress, but we can control what happens in our own homes and our own minds.
We must fight our natural tendency toward bias, and we need to get out of our individual filter bubbles as soon as possible. You probably knew you had a propensity for bias, now you have a way to name it. And do something about it. We can and must take control of the content we consume to be responsible citizens and consumers of media.
What things do you do to avoid the filter bubble and confirmation bias?
I am currently reading Mary Oliver’s collection of essays titled Upstream. They are about nature and creativity and claiming responsibility for this precious life you’ve been given.
In an early essay in the book called “Staying Alive,” Oliver says,
You must not ever stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.
Mary Oliver
She drives this point home in another essay called, “Power and Time.” According to Oliver, creatives must spend their time not on the ordinary, the everyday. Our focus must be the extraordinary; we must be open and ready to catch moments of inspiration as they come. We must avoid the distractions of the world, and, most importantly, the distractions of our own minds.
Oliver says that when she is paying attention to her creative work, “My responsibility is not to the ordinary or the timely… My loyalty is to the inner vision, whenever and howsoever it may arrive. The most regretful people on Earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power or time.”
That line hit me hard. I have not always been good about attending to my creative power. Thank you, Ms. Oliver, for reminding me to do so.
A graphic novel about the Holocaust might sound scary. But Art Spiegelman’s story about his father’s experiences during World War II uses mice to portray Jews and cats to portray Nazis. It is a clever way to bring history to life for a new generation of readers. Maus won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992 and has been used in social studies curriculum since the 1990s to teach students about the Holocaust.
The Wall Street Journal called Maus “the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust.” In Maus, artist Art Spiegelman gives us two compelling stories woven inside each other. The main story belongs to Spiegelman’s father, who suffered in the German occupation of Poland and was eventually sent to Auschwitz. But alongside that tale, Spiegelman tells the story of his difficult relationship with his aging father, who is stubborn and stingy. At one point, the author laments that by portraying his father accurately, he is making his father fit the “racist caricature of a miserly old Jew.” With blunt honestly, Maus tackles the difficulties of this world, from the horror of the concentration camps to the tragedy of aging and fraught family relationships.
What I liked
Maus uses humanoid animal characters and the graphic novel format to brings the Holocaust to life in a real but not frightening way. It describes violent acts, but isn’t explicit. The black and white comic figures are much less disturbing than the graphic images of corpses I saw in the movie Schindler’s List. (The scenes of the Germans moving bodies to be destroyed in the gas ovens literally made me feel faint.) Spiegelman has chosen a clever and non-threatening way to depict an important and terrible time in history. One that we need to remember.
I like how Spiegelman tells his story within the context of his own fraught relationship with his father. He truly struggled to portray a multifaceted person who deserves our sympathy and was also difficult to understand. Suffering in Auschwitz didn’t make his father particularly noble or saint like. He was a flawed human like everyone else. Spiegelman nails this juxtaposition quite well, and forces us all to think about how we must accept people in total, both the good and the difficult.
What I didn’t like
I am not a fan of the graphic novel format. I prefer more prose and deeper insight into character thoughts and motivations. However, I appreciate that for 21st century students and young adults, the graphic novel is an effective way to convey history. I’m surprised more authors aren’t seizing on this genre to tell more about our history.
Should Maus be banned?
No. No book should be. Maus was banned by the Tennessee school district and has been challenged elsewhere for violent content, profanity, and nudity. Spiegelman’s mother Anja committed suicide when Spiegelman was a teen. He depicts the suicide as a comic book within the story, showing his mother (as a mouse) lying naked in a bathtub. There are basic breast shapes with nipples on the mouse character of his mother. But it is a mouse.
There is some profanity. Nazis used profanity with their Jewish prisoners. Spiegelman uses profanity with his father, but it’s not prevalent in the book, and it’s not just there for shock value. When Spiegelman’s character swears at his father for burning diaries from the war, his father reprimands him, saying “even to your friends you shouldn’t talk like this.” Spiegelman’s character later apologizes. The profanity has context.
Maus also depicts the violent treatment of Jews by the cat character Nazis. There is kicking and beating, as well as a panel with characters that have been hanged. But again, they are mice. It’s not graphic. It’s not bloody.
But here’s the thing. Nazis did hang people and kill children. We need to know that. We need to remember that. And Spiegelman presents this truth in an appropriate way for tween and teen readers.
Know what else the Nazis did? They banned and burned books that didn’t conform to the ideology they were pushing. That’s something else to remember.
Recommendation
If you enjoy history, biography, or graphic novels, you should definitely read Maus and the second book in the series, Maus II. And if you believe that books unite us and censorship divides us, you should pay attention to the activity of your local government and school board and do all you can to ensure access to information and civil public discourse.
What banned book have you read and enjoyed lately?
