Smart Talk: Conversations That Matter
I had originally written a different article for today. In a few weeks, I have the opportunity to conduct a training on culture and well-being for a client in their workplace. So, I wanted to today's article talking about what culture is (most people think it's about race and ethnicity) and well-being (my granddaughter is taking a well-being class in school - it's no longer called health or even physical education).
However, the events from yesterday have made me, like many of you, step back and ask myself, "What in God's name is happening to us?"
Like you, I see the polarization of our nation. But where does this polarization begin? The young man who lost his life yesterday decided to act based on what he knew about labels, political rhetoric, and hate. I'm sure his choices weren't based on an understanding of civic engagement.
And that's all of our problems. We have allowed civic engagement to be reduced to sound bites, press conferences, and political pandering. We've taken civic education out of schools and no longer teach our children how to have a sound, productive debate.
We've taken sides and decided that one party is favored by God over another (notice I didn't say, people, because heaven forbid everyone knows that would be blasphemous).
But this is much more than about civic engagement. This is about our humanity. What has happened to us is that we can no longer have conversations with one another without resorting to some form of violence.
We see this played out in our homes, workplaces, and on social media. We have forgotten how to have civil discourse.
While I changed my topic for this post, it's still about culture and well-being. We have created the American culture as one steeped in liberty, individualism, and limited government.
And, we have not changed or amended that philosophy since the 1700s when there were only 250,000 people who comprised the American colonies. I believe what is being played out today is a clash between a country's philosophy and its reality, and what is at stake is the well-being of a nation.
Many of you have heard of Project 2025, which, broken down, is an attempt to take us back to the philosophy of the 1700s. But we have grown as a nation, we realized that it wasn't "government" that needed to help its citizens, but it was the people working in these systems and structures who could come together to help its citizens (our neighbors).
The systems and structures that Project 2025 is trying to disband are made up of citizens who are simply trying to help your neighbors, my neighbors.
The question for you and me today, as we witness the polarization, the hate in God's name, and the desperate attempt to revisit a world that can't exist today, is: Can we be brave enough to stop long enough to have the conversations that matter?
Attention Bias
What is attention bias? Attention bias is our tendency to prioritize certain types of stimuli/information over others. At any given moment, an individual's senses can perceive countless stimuli in our immediate surroundings. Threat-related attention bias refers to the tendency to prioritize the processing of threats over benign or neutral stimuli. Is it no wonder we have biases related to race, ethnicity, disability, and more?
Each of us individually generates more information than ever before in human history. We take in almost 90,000 pieces of information daily, yet our brains can only filter in about 10 percent of that information. The rest, well is stored in our subconscious minds and often when we perceive a threat we act upon it.
How do you perceive the world around you and how can you understand your attention bias?
The WEBB Advisory Group Presents
The WEBB Center For Social Impact was developed and designed from more than 50 years of lived experience as a Black Woman in America.
Focusing on domestic policy specifically, our institute provides a global worldview perspective for black and brown women from the diaspora living in America today.
Using research data, lived experiences, and stories of impact, policymakers and leaders can understand the social impacts various policies have on black and brown children and women, today and tomorrow.
In response to various incidents in our country's recent history, history mustn't repeat itself. Therefore, the WEBB Center For Social Impact strives to provide voter information, information on issues for policymakers, information for community activists, and information for anyone who seeks to understand the social impacts of public policy on individuals and communities.
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Prayer for the Week
Dear God,
We live in very polarizing times. Division infiltrates every layer of our society, separating even close friends and family members. Please allow these words to stand in the gap to lift our country and those who lead. Protect our country from the divisions that challenge our ability to live in a manner that pleases you. Defend those who are vulnerable and voiceless and remind us that we are our brother's keeper. We pray for Your peace and blessing to be poured out upon our nation according to Your mercy. Amen.
"Inspiring Humans...Changing Communities."
Smart Talk: Conversations That Matter" is a weekly blog post. We welcome the voices of all people. Are you interested in writing for us? Let us know.
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