"When you first rise in the morning tell yourself: I will encounter busybodies, ingrates, egomaniacs, liars, the jealous and cranks. They are all stricken with these afflictions because they don't know the difference between good and evil. Because I have understood the beauty of good and the ugliness of evil, I know that these wrong-doers are still akin to me... and that none can do me harm, or implicate me in ugliness-nor can I be angry at my relatives or hate them. For we are made for cooperation." —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 2.1
It’s difficult to know exactly how divisive society was during Marcus Aurelius’ time but, today, it seems the whole of human society is split right down the middle when it comes to most issues. If one half of society thinks something is white, the other half will say it’s black.
This environment of constant disharmony leads to a lot of contention and a considerable of internal questioning of things like What’s a safe topic to talk about with this person? before we speak.
It also means having to hold your tongue to preserve relationships when people are passionately repeating what those of us who think critically know to be disinformation. This happens to me no less than a dozen times a day typically. Humanity can be messy and hard to deal with and to not remember this means setting yourself up for a lifetime of disappointment.
This intense and unnatural environment is directly a result of social media algorithms that trap users in echo chambers that reinforce their existing beliefs. Mainstream media outlets pour fuel on this bonfire of divisiveness by perpetuating disinformation, which further limits individuals’ exposure to more diverse perspectives.
To help insulate ourselves from all the negativity or instantaneous judgement it’s important for us all to remember—we’ve been sucked into echo chambers before, we’ve all been tricked by disinformation, we’ve all had bad days when we feel like a coiled spring waiting to release our tension on the next person we encounter. In short, we’re all human and some days can be extremely difficult.
We mustn’t always take offense to every difference of opinion or by beeping horns or “one finger salutes” in traffic (traffic is a huge test for me). We have to train ourselves to not be so easily offended because when we are we give away our personal power. That old quote by Plato is more true today than ever, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”
Instead of instantly reacting to negativity, sometimes it’s best to take a deep breath, step back from the situation, and allow others to speak their piece. Oftentimes they come to the realization on their own that they were an ass and behaved poorly in the moment. If they aren’t a complete sociopath, and few are, their conscience will punish them more than you ever could.
If we wish for this world we all share to improve we must all learn to face the world each day with a little more kindness, patience, and understanding.
For the coming week, set a reminder on your mobile device for once during the morning and once in the afternoon yourself:
Am I Prepared for Negativity?
Then incorporate the 5-5-7 breathing technique after you receive the notification. It will slowly begin to change your life, try it and you’ll see.
Be well, make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
If you're interested in learning to meditate, please take a look at my book, The Perfect Pause.
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