I’m too old. I don’t have enough money. I’m not smart enough. I don’t have time. I’ve tried everything. All of these can be generally thought of as limiting beliefs. They are the excuses we hold identities so strongly to that, even when there is a way out, our attachment prevents us from moving forward. That attachment might give us significance, certainty, uncertainty, connection, or even the illusion of contribution — when we support others who believe the same — but it is not going to lead to growth. With five out of six human needs covered limiting beliefs are hard to get out of for a reason.
The problem with politics is when dealing with one of the most complex systems humanity has ever seen, any large government on the planet today, beliefs will — be they limiting or not — trump the facts nearly every time. Worse yet, we react to inconvenient truths as if they were personal insults.
Take the comment, “There are a lot of killers. You think our country’s so innocent?” The Obama administration country target count up to 2014 for bombing was Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and Syria with possibly others to add as well. In 2015 the bomb drop count estimates were 22,110 for Iraq/Syria, 947 for Afghanistan, 11 for Pakistan, 58 for Yemen, 18 for Somalia — totaling 23,144 meaning about one bomb dropped for every 23 minutes of each day for the entirety of a single year. If you are a citizen of the United States how can you not think our country is a killer?
The most amazing result of this election is seeming belief that it came down to electoral votes winning over a popular vote. Meaning that, if for some reason, the other side ‘won’ then everyone would suddenly believe what they do. It is like saying there is a room of 100 people and if we can just get 51 people to agree then the other 49 people’s point of view no longer counts.
Is it a wonder that the phrase ‘deplorables’ has become a badge of honor for half of the country? As was mentioned in the Chicago Tribune:
They’re hardworking Americans, people who sent their children to our wars, people who were pushed aside by our politics, slapped down by our economy and abused by Democrats, Republicans and the very elites who formed the establishment. They were once the forgotten. But now their guy is president of the United States.
The shame for the United States is we have become split where the only way to be right is to make the other side wrong. Elon Musk would like to save the world from global warming, put us all on solar power, and establish a second home for humans in the solar system. Yet, he is being shamed for being a Trump Advisor? One of the most popular rationalizations is how can you work with Hitler? (If you study enough about it, you realize the guy vetting and banning refugees is probably not Hitler …the guy CREATING refugees probably is) Yet, when it comes to beliefs — as Scott Adams has said — Trump’s critics have evolved from expecting Trump to be Hitler to preferring it. Obviously they don’t prefer it in a conscious way. But the alternative to Trump becoming Hitler is that they have to live out the rest of their lives as confirmed morons. It is my only hope that one of his later tweets comes true:
Watch for Trump’s critics to migrate from “Trump is Hitler” to “Trump is incompetent” by summer. Later: “Competent, but I don’t like it.”
For if the prediction does not come true, why would anyone indeed want to work with Hitler or even someone who is incompetent? Right now we have two countries and are in the middle of a civil war — thankfully without bullets.
If you don’t believe we are in a civil war then I guess you are not reading this online and don’t use social media. The problem, however, with the term ‘civil war’ is that eventually one side needs to win or the country has to die. If you really want an empowering belief, make it that both sides can win this war of beliefs. There really is only one thing Trump is focused on for his legacy — American jobs. It really is that simple. Want ‘Hilter’ to go away? Want incompetence to go away? Find beliefs that lead to job creation that also achieve other goals. You might need to give up the Hitler thing and a few others to make that happen but at least there will a room with a lot more than 49 or 51 happy people in it afterward.
(Originally posted on Medium)