Not to sound like a stereotypical white millennial, but I subscribe to a psuedo Buddhist/daoist/stoic mindset in most aspects of life. When it comes to personal problems, I can normally step away from my emotions, look at things clearly, and then come back to a certain level of equanimity with whatever transpires and feel a sense of connection and empathy with others while also validating those initial emotions. Many things I used to get worked up over seem silly, not because the world is dumb and pointless but because everything is exactly as it's meant to be.

When it comes to politics however, it's really hard to maintain this equanimity. Sure, this might be a product of the 24 hours news cycle meant to polarize us and make us froth at the mouth at the republicans, the democrats, the rich, the poor, the foreign, what have you. And sure, this desire for equanimity is also a trap because it is a desire. But there has to be some way to hold the evil accountable while also acknowledging the indefiniteness of "good" and "evil", being able to organize and make tangible material changes while also accepting there is no struggle, that these problems are not real and our biggest fight is with our sense of separation.

. Idk I see these pro lifers rallying against Roe and there's a part of me full of rage and other part of me that wants to understand the underlying pain, real or imagined (although the difference doesn't really matter), and connect beyond the political divide towards our innate humanness and the collective consciousness we are a part of. But I also don't want to ignore the real pain and suffering of the poor, the down trodden, the exploited all in the name of making myself feel better.

Has anyone any advice on maintaining a sense of this equanimity while also continuing to see the world through a materialist ML lens? Maybe I'm just high as hell so sorry if this makes zero sense.

  • TerminalEncounter [she/her]
    ·
    2 years ago

    "At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality." - Comrade Che

    We can only accept things as they are but sometimes, in a revolutionary moment or situation, we can change the world for the better and that's part of accepting things as they are too. It's impossible to determine in the moment - except for the real geniuses and luminary revolutionaries like Ho Chi Minh or Lenin - if this is indeed the moment when history cracks open and we can make changes for the good of all mankind.

    So, live each day assuming this is that moment. That doesn't have to mean becoming a solo adventurist and getting your head blown off. But it also means you should take this moment and revolution very seriously. What do you want to tell people in 2050, if we had a revolution in 2025 inshallah, about what you did when you were younger? Only you can answer that, and all that counts is you did your utmost when you could.