Fifty-eight percent said they believed our nation’s best years are behind us. On the other hand, pollsters also asked about Americans’ attitudes about the future of our country. In that sense, it’s encouraging to see fellow-citizens place high importance on preserving and protecting it. This poll result would indicate that Americans are increasingly aware of threats to our democratic systems, both real and perceived. Like Wendell Phillips once said, “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” Democracy requires us to pay attention and selfishly guard against illiberal incursions. It’s tempting to treat Americans’ sudden focus on strengthening democracy as wholly welcome news. So, what do we – and when we say we, we mean not just those of us in the democracy-building business, but all citizens – take away from this poll result? 6 coup? Or, is it partly picking up sentiment on the right about the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago?Ĭertainly, the answer is some combination of all of these things. There’s a lot going on in the democracy space right now: Was the ranking a reaction to sweeping voter restrictions in statehouses around the country? Or an acknowledgment of the House select committee’s work into the failed Jan. It’s debatable what respondents truly meant by this sentiment. 1 concern, outpacing all other topics such as the cost of living, the economy, abortion rights, and climate change. One in five respondents (21 percent) identify it as their No. The combination shuts down our hearts, and we just show up for life, going through the motions.There’s been a lot of discussion this week about a new NBC News poll that found “threats to democracy” as the top issue on midterm voters’ minds. Cynicism leaves us doubting, unable to dream. Weariness and fear leave us feeling overwhelmed, unable to move. Without the Good Shepherd, we are alone in a meaningless story. Cynicism's ironic stance is a weak attempt to maintain a lighthearted equilibrium in a world gone mad. With the Good Shepherd no longer leading us through the valley of the shadow of death, we need something to maintain our sanity. In cynicism we can't pray because everything out of control, little is possible. In naive optimism we don't need to pray because everything is under control. The movement from naive optimism to cynicism is the new American journey. We go from seeing the bright side of everything to seeing the dark side of everything. You'd think it would just leave us less optimistic, but we humans don't do neutral well. Shattered optimism sets us up for the fall into defeated weariness and, eventually, cynicism. Optimism in the goodness of people collapses when it confronts the dark side of life. It is childlike trust without the loving Father. At first glance, genuine faith and naive optimism appear identical since both foster confidence and hope.But the similarity is only surface deep.Genuine faith comes from knowing my heavenly Father loves, enjoys, and cares for me. It leads to bitterness that can deaden and even destroy the spirit.Ĭynicism begins, oddly enough, with too much of the wrong kind of faith, with naive optimism or foolish confidence. While offering a false intimacy of being "in the know," cynicism actually destroys intimacy. The cynic is always observing, critiquing, but never engaging, loving, and hoping. “Cynicism creates a numbness toward life.Ĭynicism begins with a wry assurance that everyone has an angle.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |