“If only she had cried … That would have changed the world.”
I spoke with my friend Kelly Bryson yesterday. He told me about a video in which a reporter was completely outraged about the actions of the American government. He said everything she exclaimed sounded right and convincing, at the same time the brutal violence of her language shook him and he spent the rest of the day depressed and desperate.
I also feel depressed and desperate to see how people have split into two hardened fronts once again.
One side accuses the other of being gullible and manipulable, in return people are called selfish and conspiratorial.
Both sides provide arguments, data, facts and studies and once again it’s only about who is right. Who wins.
It’s just like the climate debate and the refugee crisis. People are concerned with trying to convince each other and bring enmity, violence and hatred into the world. War has never brought peace.
Even friends who studied nonviolence usually do not speak from their hearts, do not listen to see the humanity behind what has been said.
Kelly said, “If only she had cried … That would have changed the world.”
I want us to change the world. In particular those of us who have been practicing speaking from our hearts and perceiving the humanity in our counterpart for years, are the ones I hope for. Please join.
Let us express observations instead of evaluations, our feelings instead of our thoughts, our needs, values and longings instead of our strategies and instead of teaching the other let’s give them empathy. Instead of winning the battle, let’s win the hearts. Please.