Authenticity: The True Revolutionary

“The horrors of human life are not unique to any one identity and obey no academic praxis.” -Salomé Sibonex

I read a quote that said, “viewing everything through politics is myopic and it’s lazy. It is perhaps because we leave everything to politics that the world is in the mess that it’s in. It is often a way to show educated people that you care without actually having to care.” -Ayishat Akanbi

I agree with this statement. Politics, though hugely impactful in society, will only very gradually move tiny mountains in the never-ending pursuit for positive change. So tiny in comparison to the seemingly tiny choices that you make in your day to day life. The system IS a reflection of the shit that resides within our own personhood. So, beginning within the realm of personal choice is where your control will always lie. Turning within will always be the most important step in creating a kinder, revolutionary world.

This isn’t to say that we should deny politics altogether, especially if you are enlivened by and truly passionate about working in that sphere. Real people are affected by policies that have been put in place that keep people from basic rights. That’s an unfortunate fact. I’m just expanding on the idea that there is more than one way to fight the system. Personally, I am particularly fond of the power that’s wielded in remaining true to oneself and giving credence to bits of ideas that you may disagree with. When we utilize these two tools, we cultivate a space where there is room for authenticity and understanding. Fighting the system, to me, is relational work. I have never had much success in opening stubborn minds to my perspective when I forced difficult conversations or protested their behavior. Instead, I have seen the most radical change when I have allowed people to think their own thoughts while being a living example of my truths & the things I hope to see mirrored in the world.

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We are in the middle of the 2020 election, and my social media feed has been flooded with anger, contempt, and manipulation. From both sides. Everyone believes that they have unlocked some vault of wisdom that everyone else is lacking. Which is possibly the most unnerving thing to witness.

We are aggressively reminding people of their “privilege” at every turn. And, I am not claiming that privilege doesn’t exist. But, the word privilege has become so convoluted that I think we are very confused at this point. For instance, It is not a privilege to focus on the things in your life that you have immediate control over. It is not a privilege to be hopeful or positive. It is not a privilege to find joy where there is seemingly only suffering. Those things are choices, available to all of us — at all moments.

We are actively turning our backs on truth because we believe it is “insensitive.” I’ve seen a lot of posts that say “the sun will still rise no matter who wins the presidency,” and people are calling that statement “ignorant and insensitive.” The truth is that the sun will still rise, and, whether or not you are hurting, that truth should not be suppressed for fear of what it will do to your feelings. Having true empathy innately coexists with honesty. Having true empathy allows for multiple truths to exist at once, in which we are able to honor present pains AND have hope for the future at the same time. We are seemingly becoming numb to the nuance of living. If you are not in that place and not ready to feel hopeful, that is okay. That is valid. That is understandable. But, do not talk down to those who are continuing to choose an energetic steeped in wholeness and compassion while the majority cling to the erupting chaos.

So many of us are operating under the guise of being “right” and “good” by using warranted rage to tear people down. And, it is warranted. The feelings associated with being victimized by a corrupt system are warranted and very real. But, when you hold too tightly to the idea that healing will ultimately come from something outside of you — I promise that you will die on that hill. Our rage and pain may live on a foundation of truth, but it is also true that what we decide to do with that rage will have its own cycle of cause and effect.

Who you choose to point a finger at in blame for your suffering will be a fork in the road for your evolution. You get to decide in each moment whether you want to be constructive or destructive. And, constructive choices generally take radical acceptance of what currently is before we can move onto what will be. It is not as passive of a process as it might sound. It is almost never easy to make the constructive choice. Think about that when you are so easily throwing your emotion in other people’s faces. We all know that it is so much easier to judge what you are seeing in other people than it is to look at and accept that very same fragmentation within yourself. When you do not take ownership of your rage and are unable to find compassion for your own participation in the system of suffering, you will inevitably perpetuate the same issues that you are seeking to eliminate.

It is not constructive to make people walk on eggshells for fear that they will be dismissed from your community.

In the midst of rampant projection, I have decided that I am not afraid to be wrong, dumb, or misinformed. I am not afraid that people will perceive me in a negative light because we are all ultimately walking on the same ground with different, complex, multifaceted stories of pain, horror, beauty, and bliss.

I have been stupid, immature, naive, chaotic, egotistical, and so many other perhaps embarrassing versions of myself, and likely, over the course of my life, I will be all of those things again. And, so will you.

Angrily calling each other out is almost never the constructive move. You have likely just as much to look at within your own monstrous soul. And, that is not something that is dependent on class or color. No one is so pure that evil, misfortune, or imperfection does not reside within them. That is a part of being human.

We will eliminate authenticity altogether if we only allow for what we deem momentarily beautiful but choose to deny the whole truth and mess of what it means to be human.