4 Ways We Interface with Politics

My brother used to be afraid of monsters.

The monster may not have been real,

but my brother’s fear was very real.

Jack Pearson, This Is Us

This post is not so much about politics.

It is more about how we interface with politics.

My aim is not to debate, get us in a frenzy, or stir up commotion. My heart is to frame this season with some love-your-neighbor concepts.

I tend to see four ways we respond to whatever the political season is.

Consequences & Emotions

Whenever election season comes, we see the full panorama of consequences and emotions displayed. Sometimes, the consequences are real. Sometimes, they are imagined. We find legacy media interviewing people genuinely optimistic as well as terrified.

The way I see it, people tend to fall into one of four categories during election seasons.

Hopeful

The hopefuls are those who are not entirely sure, but envision a blessed future because they see their preferred candidate winning. This might also be the person who has a more positive outlook without feeling the need to even vote.

Pragmatic

Perhaps just as optimistic, the pragmatist is hopeful, yes, but their hope comes from experience. They can read the winds of time and make connections to another day that was similar to this one. They feel they have a little bit of “proof” for their hopefulness. “The data is in…this will work if _________ wins” they might say.

Suspicious

Those who feel suspect during this season may imagine the worst possible outcomes and therefore lack any sort of trust in specific candidates.

Pessimistic

The pessimist has a little more reason to be suspicious. Their doubts are based in experience. I once knew someone who lost their home due to a previous candidate’s policies. Based on what they know, their expectations are low for specific candidates.

Love Your Neighbor

Of course, we often do not even fit perfectly into just one of these categories. Depending on the day, it is more likely that you are a certain blend of them all! The American experience is made up of vastly different people who each have their own context and set of values. While one candidate’s words and actions symbolize comfort to one person in Montana, those same words and actions symbolize violence in California.

If you are an artist or any kind of maker and you care about someone in any of these spaces, consider joining us for our October “Love Your Neighbor” art challenge on The Yellow Ochre Team Patreon page.