As I continue my lifelong work to understand my own mind, I've been thinking about the difference between constructive and destructive mindsets.
The difference between fighting and building. Opposing and cultivating. Condemning and celebrating.
It's no secret that we need our destructive mindsets to oppose injustice, fight those who do harm, and speak out against abusers, bigots, fascists, etc.
We also know that social media uses our innate prioritization of threats to hold our attention and keep us scrolling.
And yet... I think it's clear that what makes the world (and the inside of our skulls) a joyful, livable, sustainable place to dwell requires constructive mindsets. Building shelter. Building communities. Food. Art. Education. Childcare. Science. Medicine. Fun and leisure.
For me, it seems that the default structure of our current media/cultural climate pulls toward a destructive mindset. This pull is very hard on my mental health. However, it's a nuanced thing to discuss because the forces I want to resist legitimately should be resisted.
It feels complicated because both reason and a respect for my own sense of wellbeing tells me to intentionally turn toward a constructive mindset, but in doing so I must make an active choice to turn away from unaddressed threats/problems/injustices.
Like many issues that feel complex, the problem arises from dichotomous thinking. The idea that we dedicate ourselves solely to one or the other, to constructive or destructive thinking. It's a false choice. We can't do two things at once and we need to make room for both.
The balanced approach seems simple enough, but I think finding that balance requires me to acknowledge that there are vast, sophisticated tools/algorithms/financial interests pressing down on the 'destructive mindset' side of the scale.
The problem is exacerbated by the abstract, placelessness we feel as citizens of the internet and people who have been cut off from our physical contexts by the pandemic (and other factors). We become inhabitants of social media. It becomes our environment. Threat as place.
So, the deck is stacked against us when we seek ways to exercise constructive mindsets, to find hope and pleasure. But, here's the thing. I suffer from painful, chronic depression which, paradoxically, gives me some interesting tools to fight back against these forces.
I am well acquainted with insidious pressures trying to steer me toward hopelessness. I am well acquainted with having to make a conscious effort of will to turn toward positivity, to go outside, to recognize when my dread stems from forces beyond my immediate control.
Revolutions may need to fight, but they also need to feed people, to make life worth living, to present a vision of a world that feels worth inhabiting. Destructive mindsets have their place, but we miss the point when we let them define our identities completely.
So, I seek out things that make me feel hopeful. I stubbornly allow for the idea that many of my fellow humans are good, are smart, are worthy, are interesting, are enriching the world. I recognize that social media isn't a trustworthy representation of our reality.
I adopt the self-care stance that in this flawed, complicated, temporary world, the local trees and birds are also deserving of a portion of my undivided attention and that giving it to them is neither a surrender to evil nor an immoral act of self-indulgence.
We are all different and we need different things. But I argue that, regardless of context, each of us deserves/needs rest and peace and pleasure. Sometimes, the portion of nature for which we are best positioned to care and preserve is ourselves.
Yes, I think we should oppose evil. We should take action. We should do good works. But if you find yourself living in a state of constant dread or hopeless anger, I want to recommend that there is a healing balance to be found between destructive/constructive mindsets.
We are all fundamentally worthy of seeking this balance. Of finding our hope. Of rediscovering our place and peace. Of forgiving ourselves for what we do not control. Of allowing ourselves to be simple, natural animals enjoying the beauty of this flawed, lovely world.