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Perfect reframing.
If there is one thing I would encourage everybody to do, candidate and voter, is to recognize the extent to which so many of us have accepted and taken on the framework of those with whom we fundamentally disagree, and stop it wherever we see it.
"Nobody wants open borders."
The hell we don't. Everyone should want open borders. Open borders indicate such peace with our neighbors, such fulfillment of basic human need, that borders become unnecessary.
Everybody should want that as an end goal. We should say so.
The hell we don't. Everyone should want open borders. Open borders indicate such peace with our neighbors, such fulfillment of basic human need, that borders become unnecessary.
Everybody should want that as an end goal. We should say so.
"Nobody wants to get rid of guns."
The hell we don't. A world without guns is a world where nobody feels the need to suddenly end the life of another, where even those who do find it far more difficult to accomplish.
Everyone should want that as an end goal. We should say so.
The hell we don't. A world without guns is a world where nobody feels the need to suddenly end the life of another, where even those who do find it far more difficult to accomplish.
Everyone should want that as an end goal. We should say so.
"Nobody wants to get rid of prisons."
The hell we don't. A world without prisons is a world where all live in such harmony that none need have their freedom curtailed for the safety (or the profit) of the rest.
Everyone should want that as an end goal. We should say so.
The hell we don't. A world without prisons is a world where all live in such harmony that none need have their freedom curtailed for the safety (or the profit) of the rest.
Everyone should want that as an end goal. We should say so.
"I just want what's realistic."
Examine that statement. So often 'what's realistic' is simply what can be accomplished once we've already surrendered the main: whether we intend to pursue war or peace, harmony or power, greed or plenty, fear or courage, imagination or ignorance.
Examine that statement. So often 'what's realistic' is simply what can be accomplished once we've already surrendered the main: whether we intend to pursue war or peace, harmony or power, greed or plenty, fear or courage, imagination or ignorance.
Think bold and big and brave, and don't apologize for having ideals and working toward them or fighting for them.
Reframe your argument to point toward those ideals.
Doing so will expose what ends the other side points toward.
Reframe your argument to point toward those ideals.
Doing so will expose what ends the other side points toward.
"You're just talking about some utopia," they'll scoff.
Which makes them the type that scoff at utopia.
You can join them, or you can be somebody who points toward it.
Compromise? Incremental progress? Sure. But only when it actually gets you closer to where you're heading.
Which makes them the type that scoff at utopia.
You can join them, or you can be somebody who points toward it.
Compromise? Incremental progress? Sure. But only when it actually gets you closer to where you're heading.
We do not need the permission of those who scorn finer ideals in order to pursue those ideals.
You can't convince people to catch up to you unless first you leave them behind.
You can't convince people to catch up to you unless first you leave them behind.
The term for what I'm talking about, by the way, is "leadership."
You can easily see it when it manifests.
Just as easily, you can see when it refuses to.
You can easily see it when it manifests.
Just as easily, you can see when it refuses to.
If the objective is the right one, the fact that it's far away, or hard to reach, is no reason to not begin to travel toward it.
In fact, the further we have to go, the earlier we should start, and the greater should be our resolve.
In fact, the further we have to go, the earlier we should start, and the greater should be our resolve.
Why NOT be people of vision and resolve and strength and courage and imagination? Why NOT be wide-open to possibility and willing to go for it?
Or we can be "realistic," stay where we are and try to arrange the few sticks we're allowed to touch into something like shelter.
Or we can be "realistic," stay where we are and try to arrange the few sticks we're allowed to touch into something like shelter.
This is an important question. The call is to consciously reframe around our end goals, to begin with the end in mind, rather than to begin with defeat.
But it doesn't mean we can act as if we're already there—only that we should be unafraid to aim high.
But it doesn't mean we can act as if we're already there—only that we should be unafraid to aim high.
