"Goodness" can be defined as that which moves us in the direction of harmonious coexistence, empathy and solidarity with others. The nature of evil, on the other hand, is to divide people from people, humanity from the rest of nature." - Daisaku Ikeda
I occasionally enjoy social media. It allows me to stay connected to a lifetime of business and personal friends who might otherwise have fallen by the wayside. As someone who believes strongly that every life is interconnected, this is a real blessing.
Social media also provides a great avenue for me to exercise my funny bone as well as share my thoughts on life and the world. However, over the last few years, more people have turned to expressing their political and social views in strident and often overly aggressive ways. Besides being toxic to the people who write them, these words have had serious, negative consequences in our lives.
For a few years, I watched as many of my Facebook friends and people I followed on Twitter (now X marks the spot) reacted to traumatic events in our nation and around the world. The unfortunate byproduct of this constant social media barrage was the regular re-traumatization of the original news events. As someone who is hypervigilant and highly sensitive, this was too overwhelming. So, I backed almost completely off social media.
I believe this has resulted in more healthy and useful behaviors and interactions. As the English poet John Milton famously wrote, "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n."
I've also been recommitting myself to one of the basic tenets of my Buddhist practice -- that all people have the power to lead lives of great value and creativity. They can also positively influence their communities, society and the world.
"Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him." - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Our lay Buddhist organization stresses that the greatest fulfillment in life is found in working for the happiness of others. I'm doing my best to use my writing and motivational speaking activities in local churches and schools to maintain and spread hope. Meanwhile, MVO shares any news that she thinks might be of interest but not overwhelming for me.
There is no such thing as an individual life or a world without challenges. Never has been, never will be. It is how we respond to these events that matters. And that's what matters to me!