Every time I get on social media there is always some debate happening amongst “friends.” Sometimes they are about personal matters, but generally the arguments ensue over political and/or religious opinions. Because of the recent hate crimes the popular argument has been over gun control, but is it just gun control? No, as the arguments rage on, every other controversial topic is pulled in as evidence to back the original point and soon enough it’s not the topics that are being debated at all. The issues quickly become secondary to belittling the people that hold a differing opinion. These are not healthy debates. These arguments breed hate, looping back to the very thing which caused the original discussion, a hate crime.
Now, I am not innocent in this. I’ve had my fair share of bouts on controversial issues. There was a time when I prided myself on my debating skills. For a while, I even hinged my identity on being an arguer, a fighter. I was opinionated, impulsive and though I could not see it, I was almost always driven by my opinions and emotions rather than logic and facts. No, I haven’t become a monk, or a saint or anything remotely so pure and dispassionate. But, I have been on a journey to gain control of my own mind and it has helped me see the world in a clearer light.
Here are some truths:
- We all have free agency, the ability to determine our own beliefs, values, and morals. Because of this, we will never live in a utopian society. We all have unique experiences, ideas, and perceptions that tint our worldview. We will never all agree on everything.
- Our differences make the world a more interesting place to live. Diversity can cause derision or it can be a source of beauty. Many beautiful things have come to fruition as a result of various belief systems, both religious and nonreligious. Then again, many people are afraid of views they don’t understand and choose to balk at differences.
- The only mind a person can control is their own.
Sometimes it is our differences that spawn needless hate and violence, sometimes it’s our feelings, sometimes it’s our beliefs. All of these things originate in the mind before they are acted out in the world. Regardless of what laws we have in place, laws don’t make people want to stop killing people. So perhaps what we need more than new laws is a new awareness. An awareness of our own minds. Imagine a world where mental health was just as important as physical health. Imagine that going to a therapist, counselor, or life coach was just as common and accepted as going to the gym.
I’m not going to pretend to know the motives behind the heinous murders we’ve seen lately, but can we all agree that there was something happening in these killers’ minds that went far beyond a healthy mindset? I know that many killers are labeled as psychotic and have been in and out of therapy their entire lives. There is no denying that some people have a genetic propensity towards mental illness, but others are driven to extremes because they did not seek help soon enough.
What if we all learned at a young age that we have the ability to control our own thoughts, feelings, and actions? What if it was taught in grade school along with health and P.E.? This might not help prevent all cruelty, but would it not prevent some? People will always find ways to accomplish the things they are passionate about. Their weapons might be guns, bombs, or words. But what if they had learned early on how to bridle their passions? What if they knew they didn’t have to feel shame or guilt or hate? What if people accepted responsibility for their own lives? This doesn’t mean we won’t have differences of opinion, but it does mean that we could better handle them. If mental health, personal accountability, and emotional responsibility were taught at a young age, our discussions about important issues might not only be more pleasant, but more productive as well. Not to mention we would most certainly see a decline in depression, addictions, and suicides.
Implementing mental health into education would take time and thought, but it seems like a bipartisan way to affect positive change. To me, it seems far more productive than getting stuck in the endless loop of arguments surrounding hot topic issues that never seem to go anywhere.
But that’s just what Cersey says.
