Don't go chasing platitudes

I’m not interested in platitudes. Catchy motivational phrases. Thoughts and prayers. 

I’m not interested in talking or thinking about it…later. “When clearer heads prevail.” When the sting of what’s really happening has worn off and the conditioning starts to take over. When outrage gives way to politeness. When trauma fades to memory. When it’s easier to revert to inertia and inaction. “Pick and choose your battles”, right?

Why wait? The unvarnished, flight-or-fight response is the one of action. When instinct takes over. When there’s no time for measured responses. When the truth comes out in inappropriate ways. When motivations are heightened. When you must make a choice. 

Many many people/groups/organizations/amorphous disembodied opinions will tell you how complicated things are. Just let the dust settle long enough if you want to see how truly complex our modern society and issues can be. Logistics. Resources. Budget. Order. Law. Nationalism. And don’t forget…bullshit.

Right. Wrong. It’s all opinion. No, really. It’s opinion based in subjective morality. But there are choices to make. Inaction vs. action. If something doesn’t work, do you keep doing it over and over and over again? Do you at least see the patterns? Better yet, do you acknowledge them? How many times do you do the same thing over and over and over without the desired result before you change your method? 

It’s really not that complicated, is it? You can do something, or do nothing. There’s no in between. 

I pose these questions to everyone, including myself. The time for measured meditation is over. Eye-rolling is futile. Making it someone else's problem is, too. If you're reacting, then you're a part of it. It's up to you what role you play.