Do you have family members who are blinded by orange chaos? I think I found an antidote until you find something better. I tried it this weekend and so far, it seems to be working.
Do you have a Mother, sister, brother, Father, daughter, son, grandchild, or close friend who was sane until an escalator ride 2015 changed them or caused them divisive delusions? Did they or do they seem to have no respect for different opinions? Are you suffering from Snowflake Syndrome? Did these people start behaving like they were in a cult and found some savior who was actually PT Barnum in disguise? Well I have some advice.
Have you deleted people you love or did love up until 3 plus years ago? Are there heated arguments? Are you walking on eggshells or feeling depressed that these folks have turned on you? You must act quickly while there is still a working brain cell. I thought of a perfect one on one with these folks that leaves them speechless with no answers and no debate.
Most people do not want to break ties with their children, or parents or even spouses. I have members in my family caught up on the Trump Train but I have hijacked the train with these few simple questions. There is guilt tripping involved but when deprogramming… do what works.
Go to that family member and this is hard, I tell you. Very hard.
YOU start the conversation. You must Say, “I want to ask you a few questions and I need some reasonable answers”.
#1. Why do you care so much about a man you do not know, who you will never meet and don’t know you from a speck on a wall and yet you hurt people who don’t share your political mindset that has always been there for you?
They stumble around trying to tell you all the good things he has done but you must come back to a question of , “But where is he in your life”? How does that justify your behavior? How do you square taking up for someone you don’t know and hurting some people you have known all you life? The same people who have nursed you to health, shared a life with you, laughed and cried with you, eaten at the same table, or opened Christmas presents with you? Then say, these are the people who put you first.
You constantly put him and his bunch over every basic thought in your world up on a pedestal and until less that 48 months ago, you cared nothing for politics? How is that even possible? Don’t you find that messed up or odd behavior?
Again they will try to justify and you say...How is this hero worship any different from hanging on to every word of Kim Kardashian or some big celebrity that you do not know and certainly does not know you exist? Look Deep and ask yourself if there is anyone so great even in your opinion which you are entitled, to throw people who love you away? Is that even normal? Why do you care so much? Will that person and their ideas and rhetoric feed you? Will they comfort you? Will they attend your funeral? Do they make you happy? Think about that. Do they?
Will this person even see you if you beg them to visit you? Will they keep your children or bring you soup or join you for a movie? NO. They won’t. You are not in their world. The people you love is not your enemy, no matter what you are being told. The people who have always shared things with you are causing you and the people you cared about until less than 65 car payments ago to become sad, and divided and basically torn apart? Why ? Why is that? Do you really know what is going on in their world? NO. Think about that a little while because pretty soon some of the dearest people you have been with most or all of your life will not be able to see you or die or go away and then you will just be left with empty words and promises.
You can say, you cared nothing about these folks until people started shouting at you from a TV set like they were your friends. They are paid big money to influence you. You may also say, and made new friends online and never met a single one of them and you try and convince people to lockstep and not have their own right to like or not like someone? You can like someone but don’t mistreat people because they see things differently. This is wrong. You can keep your opinions and talking points to yourself and stop this division now. Right now. You are being brainwashed…. They will come back with NO you are brainwashed but then say , “How”… Because I listen to Kiss and you listen to Frank Sinatra or visa versa? Why do you think your or that opinion is the only one out there? Explain it to me.
I tried this on a couple of folks this weekend and the answer was the same.
I DON’T KNOW. I NEVER CARED BEFORE. I don’t know.
I then said, “ Wake up”….People who are capable of this kind of division and causing this much chaos especially with family members cannot be good for you and they will never know you threw away love and compassion and good will for a vote. It is your life...You can live it or destroy it but you need to know you can live by yourself but it takes 6 people to carry you out once you are dead. Will DJT send his cabinet or come himself to rescue you, or bail you out. You just might want to think about that and see what is happening. You don’t have to change your idealogy or even listen to the other side but you are throwing your life away on people with rhetoric who would not give you the time of day.
I think this is how we fight back. No more arguing… No more fussing. Just narratives that confront the real problem. Tell them to stop listening to what they think is the truth and start trying to live peacefully around those with different political views. If it is your kids, “ Say, is it worth being written out of a will”? Is all this division and hate worth your entire future or life? If it is your sibling, ask them if Ivanka plans on becoming their new sister and movie going friend and swimming pool partner? If it is a parent, Ask them is it worth denying your own flesh and blood any kind of love they promised as parents and a breakaway from seeing grandchildren.
This is hard but so far when this experiment started today, it was to my amazing full of no answers and stuttering and they couldn’t control the narrative because these people don’t know how their thoughts and emotions changed.
Try it. This is about mending fences with your loved ones and not stacking another brick in an imaginary brainwashed wall. Every single war has been solved at a negotiation table. That I think includes this war among families and friends.