Being Naive

Some days I wonder why trying to do the right thing is hard. Why have we become so divided, so critical, and so unwilling to compromise?

After having a discussion with my boss yesterday about a possible grant that led to a conversation on social justice, he gave me feedback that logic doesn’t solve some of the tough problems we face in society. Being that logic is my default go to, that is hard to hear, but in this case true.

Our biases and fears are not based on logic, they are based on emotion and experience. The way we are raised, the people we associate with, and our lived experiences play just as much into the equation as logic.

My version of what is right may not be the same as yours. Coming to an understanding may be harder than it feels like it should.

Am I just so naive that my thinking that we should start with what we have in common and come to understanding on what we don’t won’t work?

Is compromise dead?

Is understanding each other just not worth the effort?

I for one choose to stay optimistic. I realize that in many cases I have chosen to fight battles with my form of logic and it has backfired, but I will continue to seek to understand and try to build bridges instead of walls.

Sometimes my approach is wrong.

Sometimes I might offend even when I don’t mean to.

I want to be better. I want to believe we can overcome bias and fear to understand each other and respect each other.

I choose to stay naive and believe in what is possible.