Fewer than 1% of our population works hard to divide us. To pit people against one another for their selfish aims.
These are the pundits, divisive politicians, media companies and short-term trolls who have decided that schisms and fights are a good way to achieve their aims.
But if everyone is demonizing the other, then everyone is the enemy to someone.
We end up spending our time fighting each other instead of fighting for the things that really matter. We end up focusing on the current thing while something more important shrinks away in the background.
Its possible to be fierce, fierce in your dedication to change, to whats right, to making things betterwithout finding the source of your power in the destruction of others.
We ought to be fighting inequality, corruption and inefficiency. Working to stamp out ignorance and missed opportunities while creating access and possibility. Keeping our promises and making things better.
Every system is improved when its in sync, and the narcissism of small differences is a seduction that keeps us from focusing on creating real value by doing important work.
Realizing that things can get better (they can always get better) opens the door for productive conversations, conversations that arent based on prior decisions about what team someone is on, and instead, on putting our shoulder to the work, taking responsibility and actually making things better.
We can fight injustice without becoming pawns in a boxing promoters game.