I find comfort in looking at American history through the lens of my family:
When my great-great grandparents were born: It was legal to own another human being.
When my grandparents were born: Women could not vote.
When my parents were born: It was legal to racially segregate schools.
When I was born: Individuals with disabilities had almost no rights.
When my daughter was born: In some places it was a crime to be gay.
What will the world look like when my great-grandchildren are born?
The greatest threat to a better world is cynicism.
Cynicism is:
- Clever because it calls itself wisdom.
- Comfortable because it tells us that the world is so bad that there is no point in trying to change it.
- Dangerous because it robs us of action on behalf of others.
If we want to heal the world, we must let go of our comfortable cynicism.
We must accept that we can make a difference.
Then we must let the discomfort of that fact drive us to act.
I genuinely believe that the most dangerous aspect of our current historical moment is the unrelenting wave of cynicism washing over our culture.
It might sound corny, but…
We can choose hope.
Peace,
Ryan
