First Post: The Day After

Last Wednesday, November 6, many Americans celebrated one of the most exciting days of their lives, feeling a great sense of vindication over the clear victory of their chosen candidate. At the same time, many other Americans were appalled and revolted. This time, unlike in 2016, the outcome cannot be dismissed by either side as a fluke, a one-off consequence of a uniquely unpopular opponent, or of the peculiarity of the electoral college system. No, the result is clear.  For those who deeply believe that the victor is unworthy of the highest office due to his character and temperament, the result is also disorienting.  Hold on: is this our nation? Did our fellow citizens really vote this person into office again? Does truth exist, and if so, does it matter?  It is as though we are trapped in a dystopian novel, written in the style of magical realism – the portrayal of fantastical events in an otherwise realistic tone.

A reality check

In case you suspect that my focus on equanimity in this new era suggests irrational optimism, let me not sugarcoat what has happened. A felon, con artist, narcissist and serial sexual assaulter has been elected to return to the most powerful office in the world, by a clear majority of voters, in a free and fair election. A man without grace, honor, or self-control.   A man lacking sufficient respect for the US constitution to do, in 2020, what every prior presidential election loser had done: concede to the winner.   A person easily manipulated by the dictators he longs to emulate. The essential goals of his quest to return to power seem to be to stay out of jail, to enjoy the trappings of power with the fewest constraints possible, and to be surrounded by adoring fans.  

The first and second arrows

The immediate pain of this election result represents what philosophers call the “first arrow” – an unavoidable sorrow met with powerful emotions such despair, anger, and disgust. The “second arrow” is a metaphor referring to what the mind does subsequently to compound and prolong the unhappy state of mind. We can choose to experience it or not. Second arrow activities might include:  Ruminating on “what went wrong” and wistfully contemplating “if only” scenarios, catastrophizing (fearfully contemplating the worst possible consequences of the new administration), indulging in bitterness at the many political operatives who normalized the unacceptable, or blaming the victory on simple and denigrating factors such as stupidity, ignorance, and cult worship. Sound familiar? Such responses are natural and provide the short-term comfort of feeling that “we are right” but will serve mainly to draw out suffering.

Your post-election mental health: some suggestions

• Limit your intake of media, as you would limit consumption of bad food.  Consider a total break from news for a time. You do not need to hear gloating remarks of the winners nor the handwringing and doomsday predictions of partisans on the losing side. When you do go back to media consumption, try listening to deep thinkers who can contextualize the current moment without emoting, rather than partisan pundits.
• You may have experienced immediate reactions of sadness, revulsion, or anger, but now you can choose to reject a mindset of chronic fear, and gloom, and to be more hopeful. Deflect that second arrow!  A book I recommend for details on this concept is “Build the Life You Want” by Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey.
• You can quietly oppose Trumpism by how you live your life.  The currency of the president-elect is fear, grievance, and tribalism. Let’s handle this moment exactly as the winner and his most zealous allies could not do following their loss in 2020: With grace, courage, and humor.
• Take a moment to appreciate Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for running a strong, essentially positive campaign on short notice. They did their best and we can admire their efforts, tone and strength, without engaging in angry regrets.  Without them, the results might have been much more lopsided.
• Cultivate a long view of events.  The biggest flaw of democracy is that it can deliver terrible leaders. Its biggest strength is that it tends to self-correct.

Blog philosophy

This concept for the blog grew from the many discussions I have had with worried or disgusted friends and colleagues since the election, and I hope the ideas are helpful to you. Some of the guiding principles that will inform my posts are below, to help you decide if you’d like to subscribe and be notified about new posts.

• Even for those of us appalled by the result, we can nevertheless thrive, not just survive, in this new era.   A traumatic event can be a springboard for growth and enlightenment, both on a personal and a national level.
• We do not judge people by how they vote (to echo Kamala Harris). Those who disagree with us deserve our attention and curiosity, not our contempt. 
• We believe in our nation’s resilience and will not catastrophize.  Yes this is the same complex country that elected Barack Obama, twice. We remain patriotic Americans, and are confident, over the long term, in forward progress (in spite of evidence to the contrary).
• While many are putting forward theories of the 2024 election result, there is unlikely to be one simple explanation.  We are drawn to easy answers since they give us the illusion of control.  We should of course be curious about what has happened, and think deeply about the underlying factors. But humility and sanity dictate that we not become addicted to our own diagnoses.  We may not understand the 2024 election for years or decades, until the emotion is long gone and there is historical perspective.

Welcome to my blog! More on these themes will be explored in subsequent posts. I’m a brand new blogger and welcome your comments below. If desired, use the subscribe button so that you can receive a brief email notice when there is a new post.