In America, the damage caused by institutionalized trumpism is perhaps more subtle but no less devastating to the social fabric.
Rich versus poor, black versus white, pro-life versus pro-choice , straight versus gay - are all social, political, and economic conflicts fought under the banner of some ideology or deeply held belief.
But given the divisive and destructive results , are these ideologies and beliefs rational, or mere rationalizations for otherwise unreasonable acts?
How often, in fact, do we stop to think about what we believe?
One of the major dilemmas we face both as individuals and as a society is simplistic thinking - or the failure to think at all.
It isn't just a problem, it is the problem.
Given the imperfection of our society and the apparent downward spiral of spiritual and moral values in recent years, thinking has become a grave issue.
It is more urgent now- perhaps more urgent than anything else - because it is the means by which we consider, decide, and act upon everything in our increasingly complex world.
If we don't begin to think well, its highly likely we may end up killing ourselves.
In one way or another, each trumpism simplistic thought processed symbolically and substantially have indeed warranted, a road less traveled crusades approach, in rebuke, of the simplistic thinking.
The Road Less Traveled begins with the assertion that "Life is difficult." In Further Along the Road Less Traveled, "Life is complex" is added. And from here, it can be further said that "there are no easy answers" and the route to finding answers is primarily through better thinking, even when its not as simple as it may seem.
What does the proof is in the pudding mean? The proof of the pudding (is in the eating) saying (also the proof is in the pudding) said to mean that you can only judge the quality of something after you have tried, used, or experienced it
For many painful weeks President Trump treated the coronavirus as he had so many adversaries through more than half a century in the public spotlight:“ ‘Just do what we need to do,’ he’d say. . . . Back then, the worst thing that could happen was a fine. Now, it’s people’s lives.”
But, alas, Those high stakes, and the president’s inability to bend the coronavirus to his will, finally forced a course correction .
Unlike at nearly every other turn in his singular American life, there would be no shortcut this time. Trump bowed to reality. The man who rose to the most powerful position in the world by ignoring rules and subverting norms seemed at last to have conceded that there can be no end run around this pathogen.
Thinking is difficult. Thinking is complex. And thinking is - more than anything else - a process, with a course and a direction, a lapse of time, and a series of steps or stages that lead to some result.
To think well is laborious, often painstaking process until one becomes accustomed to being "thoughtful." Since it is a process, the course or direction may not be clear-cut.
Not all steps or stages are linear, nor are they always in the same sequence . Some are circular and overlap with others. Not everyone archives the same result. Given all this, if we are to think well, we must be on guard against simplistic thinking in our approach to analyzing crucial issues and solving the problem of life.
Although people are different, an all-too-common flaw is that most tend to believe they somehow instinctively know how to think and communicate. In reality, they usually do neither well because they are either too self-satisfied to examine their assumptions about thinking or too self-absorbed to invest the time and energy to do so.
As a result, it is impossible to tell why they think as they do or how they make their decisions. And when challenged, they show very little awareness of - or become easily frustrated by - the dynamics involved in truly thinking and communicating well.
While most people think they already know how to think, the trump experience trends at the conclusion of each session, during feedback, the desired effect is for someone to say in sheer aspiration, "The subject is simply too large."
In conclusion:thinking isn't a topic that anyone can digest thoroughly in one sitting. Whole books can be (and have been) written about it.
It is no surprise that many people resist the arduous efforts involved in continually monitoring and revising their thinking. And no surprise that by the end of the sessions most of the participants felt so overwhelmed by all that is really involved in thinking that they either number or horrified.
Needless to say, these should not be among any's more popular engagements.
Yet if all the energy required to think seems troublesome, the lack of thinking causes far more trouble and conflict for ourselves as individuals and for the society in which we live.
Hamlet's often quoted "To be or not to be?"is one of life's essential questions. Paraphrased Shakespeare may ask, "To think or not to think?" is the ultimate question in combating simplism.
And at this point in human evolution, it may be the very equivalent of "To be or not to be?"
Practices that transform us.
EXAMEN
The Examen can open us to both the difficult and beautiful in our lives, relationships and profession. The examen is also a useful way of reflecting alone or with others on what God is saying to us through a meeting, a class, a meal, a service project, a relationship or a conflict.
Spiritual Exercise: Look back over the past year. list the things that brought you life and the times you were able to truly give and receive love. Make another list of the life-thwarting moments.
* What do you discover about yourself ?
* How can this self-awareness help you choose a healthier , God - directed life?
Educational self help - Book shares: The road Less Traveled and Spiritual Disciplines Handbook.
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