Vital Questions for Troubled Times
Last year, my book group read The Oppermans, a detailed account of life in the early days of Nazism in 1933 Germany. I remember thinking that its vivid recounting of all the little things that happened to this one Jewish family — the bullying in school, the lost opportunities, the closing off of social and economic life, the curtailment of freedom of expression, and, eventually, the violence — during the fascists’ rise made authoritarianism so tangible for me. I am sure there are other accounts of what it feels like when democracy shrinks from other countries and other eras. That’s a concreteness I feel we need to capture in the weeks and months ahead as this new administration makes sweeping changes to the American presidency that will have ripple effects on our lives.
Being an active witness is a mindset, practice and act of resistance. I believe each of us has a responsibility to witness and document (in any number of media) the impact of all these changes — big and small — affecting our lives, those of people around us, our rights, our planet and our dreams.
I’ve thought of a few questions to guide me in my observations. There will be many others.
- What things are we no longer doing and what new things are we doing?
- How do we edit what we say and where we say it?
- How have our social and professional interactions changed?
- How have we changed where we get our information and how we share it?
- How have our purchasing patterns changed and why?
- How are we finding people and organizations who can provide protection and solidarity?
- What big dreams and bold visions are we imagining for our future?
Questions like these can help move us from impotence to agency. Active witnessing can make us more aware of what’s happening and more confident and robust in our response.
Like many others, I’ve been overwhelmed by the pace of change around me, especially changes that make me feel distraught and frightened or are out of sync with my values and my hopes for the future. I feel like this active witnessing posture can help me take stock of it all.
Of course, there are other ways to fight the overwhelm. I’m planning on trying the ones I list below as well. With preparation and connection, and keen observation, we will get through this challenging period.
Be clear-eyed about risk and prepare. Get documents together, update passports, look for new passports or visas, improve information hygiene, identify areas of vulnerability. Be ready for anything.
Avoid doomscrolling. Staying abreast of developments is important, but only to a point. It’s important to use the knowledge, not get lost in it and not to confuse being informed with action.
Support the people you love and help them make good decisions. That means thinking through contingencies or tough decisions, and providing emotional and material support. It also means reaching out to people who are vulnerable about the risks they face and how to prepare.
Find community and support democracy’s defenders. That’s been challenging given the speed and breadth of the assaults on democracy that we’re seeing. Identify some networks to join and organizations to support both for shorter term resistance and longer term transformation. Feel free to reach out if you want to hear who is on my list.
Do things you enjoy and enjoy them fully. Whether it’s hanging out with friends, engaging in a favorite hobby, cooking great meals or being in nature, it’s critical not to give up the things that provide joy and meaning.
Be a good ancestor. Find ways to build a better world for future generations, nurture the ideas and the people that are imagining what can be better on the other side of this difficult time, and elevate their work as essential, not frivolous, at a time of crisis. Every crisis must be seen as an opportunity for transformation.
