Making sense of the world in 2020

It has been quite a year so far. In the midst of natural disasters (fires, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.), a global pandemic, increasingly contentious political division, and two children coming out, there has been a lot to process. I've been stressed, distressed, stretched, and unmoored at times. And I want to make sense of it all. 

At the recommendation of my sister, Margaret, I finally read the book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, and I appreciated it so much. It provides an ethical/moral framework for understanding myself, differing political viewpoints, and religion. I see the points set forth everywhere I look, now, from Facebook to the Endowment (which I've missed with temples being closed.) Given that framework, and the principles I have learned as a Marriage and Family Therapist, I am working to make sense of the world, and decrease divisiveness/contention (at least within my own mind and heart).

Basic principles set forth in The Righteous Mind: 

 - Humans evolved to have a mind tuned in to morality, and 6 moral foundations appear to be important to all humans, though how they are expressed differs based on personality factors and experience. 

 - The six pillars of human morality are (Good/Bad): Care/Harm, Fairness/Cheating, Authority/Subversion, Loyalty/Betrayal, Sanctity/Degradation, and Liberty/Oppression. 

 - Folks on the liberal side of the political spectrum tend to prioritize Caring, Fairness, and Liberty. Authority, Loyalty and Sanctity are valued, but as they are often experienced as impinging on liberty, care, and fairness, they are relied upon less in the liberal moral foundation. 

 - Folks on the conservative side of the political spectrum tend to rely on all six of the moral foundations equally. 

 - Liberals and conservatives have different priorities within each moral pillar, too. For example, the groups disagree about which are the vulnerable populations in need of care (e.g., minorities and the poor for liberals, unborn babies and children for conservatives) though of course there is some overlap.

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