Heineken made a great #OpenYourWorld campaign a few years ago where they got people with different political views to do a task together. At the end, they had the option of sitting down for a beer. Most people had the beer, even though they knew the other person had an opinion they found objectionable.
One of the absolute nightmares of contemporary politics is: The bubbles. On the right and the left, most people talk to people who agree with them. We hang out in the same spaces. We use the same language. We assume everyone agrees with us about everything. It drives me nuts.
If this is too long for you, then maybe just do me a favor. Talk to some people who disagree with you. Go somewhere different. Say something when you’re not sure the people around you will love it. I’m not saying say something deliberately terrible. I’m saying, go out on a few limbs. We’ll all be doing the world a favor.
I try to share time and space with people who disagree with me. To be clear: I lean left. I’m for abortion, racial justice, gender justice, and in general, fairness across society. Around the world. I don’t like mass shootings. I believe they’re largely controllable by the American government within the bounds of the constitution. I am for internationalism and engagement with other countries. I don’t like jerks. I believe we have the collective power to prevent more catastrophic weather events from happening.
At the same time, I choose to surround myself sometimes with people who test my beliefs. I enjoy those moments. If there’s one thing the pandemic has done, it’s persuaded us to stay home too often. Physically and metaphorically. As New York gets itself back to movement after the pandemic, there are more and more chances to socialize. I’m determined to take advantage.
I’ve gone to a couple of “mixers” over the last few weeks––one with some unapologetically “radical communicators.” Another with a group of entrepreneurs. I had a fascinating conversation with a person who runs a business doing free samples at delis. We realized we had an awful lot in common when it comes to tailoring our “pitch” for a quick pick-up. If you want somebody to enjoy free food in a deli, tell them fast what’s on the plate and smile. That’s it. It’s much the same when I’m pitching stories out to journalists.
Mixing, of course, is best done in person. Elon Musk is in hot water for his tweets and says he’ll continue to post what he wants, even if it loses money. Sure, if you’re the richest man in the world, you can break your toys because you’re sad inside. But it’s amazing how even those who can muster up this kind of nonsense digitally tend to be far more engaging, face to face. And a bit less unpleasant. Most of the time.
Let’s burst the bubble together. I believe you’re a good person, even if I disagree with some of your beliefs. Together we’re capable of finding common ground. That’s where I start.
Thanks for reading, as always.
