There are always certain conversations or ideas trending in society at any given period. Due to modern media, political powers and clear differences in some beliefs, one current idea that has been regularly expressed and accepted by many here in the United States, is that we are definitively and growingly divided. Even the concept that a far-right Christian Nationalist and a far-left Atheist and or LGBTQ+ person could converse and be open to understanding the others point of view, much less embrace and connect to each other as humans, is not something that exists in most people’s minds who fit either description. The same is true for anyone on the even ‘seemingly’ far side of any belief or identity-attachment; e.g. Non-Trump supporters vs supporters, Gaza vs Israel etc. There are people who truly believe the US will have a civil war. This is scary, but partly because it is, it’s important to understand why we so easily assume and accept a negative or positive future, opposed to a resolved one.

Subconsciously or automatically, it seems easier/more comforting to accept or assume rather than figure out. Figuring things out is a conscious trait. It means we’d actually have to think, research, discover, be honest and work. We might have to change beliefs that so strongly define the social identities we’ve already claimed. Challenging our selves, our genuine mentality/humanity, is not only something we all aren’t good at, but by far the most difficult thing you can do as a human, next to maybe actually overcoming what’s there. Assuming everything will be fine (faith) or it will be horrible (catastrophizing), allows you to avoid any personal responsibility for the world or your self.

Our minds are way more capable than we like to recognize. Our conscious understanding that our assumptions are just that and there’s way more to reality, exists deep within us, but is kept from our focus and practical mindset. Our potential is used, abused and kept at bay by our default mentality. The fear of perceived discomfort/desire for perceived comfort, automatically (without your realization) supersedes thought, objectivity and progress every second of our lives unless we struggle to combat it and win at any given instance. Because of this, our exterior influences have extremely powerful and broad affects upon who we become. We absorb and determine based on the information we have, not the information that’s true. The odds are that the family, friends, surroundings, media, shows, movies, songs, and outside information that you’ve been exposed to, deserve more credit for making you who you identify as than your conscious does.

In order to understand a problem and the possible solutions, socially or internally, we have to stop and do something different than we are used to; we have to face and overcome our default mindset, discover reality and live in contrast to the comforts we’re used to in order to struggle for progress. So, I urge all of us to take an internal view even though we’ve already taken an external one, because your belief is relative to your influences and whether or not you’ve recently understood and challenged your self.