I've seen a lot of "Man, I wish I weren't here" or "I wish this were over" posts and I sympathize but I would like to suggest a reframe:

When we are challenged to see things differently, we should embrace the knowledge. Don't close your eyes. Look for the guideposts to change.

What you hear as noise is voices rising to tell you to pay attention. If you run away from recognizing the pain of fellow humans, you are choosing a stunted existence. The discomfort here is giving you a choice to expand.

Here's where we have to get (I would propose):

Knowing human life has equal value. Regardless of status, profession, money, fame, taste, citizenship, religion, skin color.

If any of those things makes you feel superior to others, that's the problem living right within you.

These hierarchies and status obsessions are taught to us ALL from childhood.

Many women have misogynist beliefs.
Many men believe toxic masculinity is power.
Many brown communities embrace colorism, or the belief that lighter skin is better.
Everyone's told "rich is better."

This is programming. We are all indoctrinated to believe we are better than *somebody.* That becomes embedded in how we behave and our social systems.

There is zero need for these beliefs and hierarchies as currently structured.

NO ONE is better than anyone else.

Going to repeat that again: Nothing is going to work until we ALL see that everyone is EQUAL.

Your skin, your church, your house, your bank account, your school, your country, your profession:

None of those should ever confer more rights and safety than anyone else has.

We're not at that place right now. So when you see all this happening, take it as what it's meant to be: A reminder that we have far to go and this is what we ALL need to change. So don't close yr eyes or turn away or wish you were somewhere else. Take breaks, but pay attention.

A good start is by destroying the thing within you that says you can treat someone badly or speak to them disrespectfully bc they are women, or minorities, or of a different religion, or less money or education or influence. Kill that thing inside you. It's the colonizer's voice.

I know that's a lot. It's a lot of work. But we've been putting it off for like 5,000 years so it's time for everyone to buckle down and pay attention. You will he tested on it. You already are.

Here's a cute cat to make you pay attention.

And don't think you're exempt, never think this has nothing to do with you. It does. Every day on this platform is a masterclass in how people try to upper-hand each other in status or morality or both. We're all implicated.

I'm suggesting we give up the ego and get to work.

This, by the way, is far from an original thought. It is common in Buddhist thinking and in spirituality. Change will call your name, then it will knock, then it will kick down your door until you pay attention. Try to listen before the wind is whistling through the entire house.

And if you hate this, reminder that Twitter is free and nothing's keeping you here and if you dislike having to think or consider different ideas, you should absolutely unfollow. I promise I won't miss anyone who does.

And to my fellow verifieds (mostly media but all):

If you're so in love with your clout that it's preventing you from seeing other people's needs - from expressing your humanity and appreciating theirs - that's the wrong path.

We're here to represent ppl, not push them down.

Shorter version of this thread: Losing things is a guidepost that teaches you how to hold on to what's good in the future.

If you've lost your peace of mind during this time, understand that solidarity with oppressed people is the way to hang on to it. Start if you haven't.

Let's just agree not to be surprised any more. We've seen what we need to see. We've seen it for years, for decades. The test of character now is how we act on it.

https://twitter.com/barackobama/status/1266400635429310466?s=21 https://twitter.com/barackobama/status/1266400635429310466

And if anyone feels called out by the part about clout: Good. You should be. You can't become insufferable the min you get some status, even something as meaningless as Twitter status. Don't behave like dicks to people who have less power than you, of any kind. Punch up. ty.

For those of us who have achieved any measure of notice or success in our chosen fields, this is a matter of memory. Remember how much you hated it when people made you feel unseen and treated you like a nobody? Inhabit that memory. Now remember to *never* do it to anyone else.

PSA: I truly don't care if people get mad. I care that we get our heads right. Anger passes. Tantrums are no way to govern how we should behave. We have been handed a collective historical responsibility for change unlike any other set of humans before us. Hope we step up