Protecting Dominance

Call me "old school" or a "fuddy-duddy" or whatever else might seem appropriate as it applies to communication and dominance. I recognize that to some, when it comes to communicating with others, there are those who feel it is vital that they dominate or control the interaction. This way, they reason, they can both control what is being said as well heavily influence how the conversation will go. In other words, they can tip the scale toward getting what they want from others. These desired results can range from achieving agreement and being understood to triggering action by others and gaining acceptance. Any one of those possible outcomes is not necessarily a bad thing. What is "bad," however, is found more in the intent behind how one chooses to communicate. The act of dominating another for its own sake is, at the least, selfish and, at the most, manipulative and dishonest. At its best, the act of communicating is designed to foster mutual understanding and harmony. For hundreds of years now, men and women have added an array of layers to that act by identifying ways to communicate that goes beyond simply getting along. Communication, for many, is a way to sway or dictate the decisions and actions of others. At this point, we can no longer tell folks to stop communicating in a way that inflences others. That train, as they say, left the station years ago. But what we can strive for is encouraqing people to dominate through honest means. Do not lie. So long as honesty prevails, then dominance as it applies to communication is not wrong; nor does it need to be stopped. What we as a soceity need to keep doingi is enforcing regulations and sanctions that help ensure dishonest communication is kept to a minimum. At the same time, we must keep doing all we can to protect acts of dominance so long as they are carried out honestly.

The Challenge of Evolution

I wish to officialy add my name to the list of those who believe evolution is a good thing. I like, for instance, the fact that once we used to walk bent over but now walk upright. I like that once the only thing that could fly were birds but now mankind has multiple ways to take-wing and not die in the process. I like that once there were diseases that could kill us but now thanks to numerous medical advances we can deal with pretty easily. On a personal note, I like that once I ate food with my hands but now am able to use utensils so as to not make a mess and get all of the goodies in my mouth without spilling it all over my face or on the floor. Yes, evolution is a good thing, especially when it equates with progress. Of course, evolution does not come without a price. With it comes a need for us to adjust and change our behavior so as to ensure the evolutionary step takes-hold. One example is toothpaste. The invention of toothpaste designed to help keep our choppers healthy and white is a good thing, but now we have to incorporate it into our schedules using it two-three times per day to ensure we benefit from it. No discussion of evolution would be complete without mentioning communication. Over the past few centuries the number of evolutionary changes regarding this field and act have been staggering. Not only can folks on different sides of the planet speak to each other, but they can do so in "real time" and face-to-to-face. When it comes to communication,one very tricky aspect is incorporating it into our own evolution as individuals. Every day I am bombarded with information. The result is I have some tidbits of information in my head today that I did not have yesterday. At the sametime, there probably are some nuggets I had that I have either forgotten or no longer need or want. This forces me to make some adjustments on a constant basis. This influences how I comunicate with others. It also impacts how others communicate with me. Progress, yes, but also constant challenge.

Election Results

The 2020 Presidential election is now history. The incumbent was defeated - something that has happened only a few times in our nation's history. More people voted in this election than ever in any in our history. The winner received more votes than anyone who has ever run for president. The person who received the second most votes in an presidential election was his opponent, the incumbent. The giant voter turnout is a good thing, of course. Seeing that many citizens do their civic duty is one thing we can all feel good about. In past elections, far too many folks elected not to do their duty. The result was a nation that did not fill its mandate. In 2020 we did much better. With so many people voting, a signficiant result is that there are millions of people who are now very unhappy. They are upset because their preferred candidate - the incumbent - lost. Some are even bitter. Many are convinced the other side cheated to win. Never mind that so far no on has yet to produce evidence to support that claim. A little over half the voting public is extremely happy at how the election turned out. But then there is sizable portion that remains upset. Going into the election the nation was nearly equally divided in terms of the two major candidates. Now with the results in, we still seem to be divided. The election did not heal the divide. Rather, it documented in. Yes, it is good to finally have it behind us. But now what? There remains far too much distrust and animosity. What is going to be done to address that? Giant blocks of citizens are still on opposite sides thinking unpleasant thoughts about the other. This cannot continue. What are our leaders going to do about? What are we going to do about it? One step in the right direction is going to need to involve a great deal of effective communicating. Listening with respect. Talking with. Having open minds and hearts. Bridging the divide within our nation is not going to happen without that.

Choice

The entry I am making now falls on a very significant day in American history: 2020 presidential election. As I write this, over 100 million votes have already been caste. Experts are predicting this year's electrion between Trump and Biden will see the largest voter turnout very possibly in the history of our nation. If that turns out to be true, then I will be delighted. The more people who participate in our nation's democratic process, then the better it is for all of us. After all, an engagged citizenry is what we are supposed to be about. Particularly in a democracy, the health of the nation is only as strong as the active interest of its people. Democracy is about choice. Making one. Sometimes the choice is easy. Sometimes not. Sometimes neither alternative is appealing. For too often when faced with candidates that do not measure up to a voter's ideals, voters here in America have opted to not vote at all; not make any choice. I have always found such behavior to be most unfortunate. When voters decide not to fulfill their civic duty, then we all suffer. The democratic form of government that defines the United Statres suffers. It becomes weaker. Elections are designed to help people determine the direction of the nation. To turn away from that represents a level of apathy that benefits no one. Think how this might apply to communication. When interacting with another, we all have a choice to make as to how we are going to communicate with that person. Be friendly? Be rude? Talk at but not with? Not talk at all? If any of us choose not to communicate at all, then what does that say about us? What is another supposed to think when assessing our character? If given a choice, I am sure we would all prefer that people not think ill of us. As a result, we should behave accordingly. We should choose to communicate in a way that helps make sure that does not happen. This election day, I hope as many people as possible make a choice. I also urge all of us to make a positive choice when it comes to communicating with others.