The Election

The people of the United States have elected a new old president and people that populate my life are largely despondent – others are indifferent or secretly elated. I am not going to weigh in on the outcome but will offer some perspective on people’s reaction to this decisive election.

The first thing I suggest is recognizing your bubble. For the past forty years, we have increasingly sorted ourselves into islands of political identity. Many of my friends have no one in their lives that do not agree with their politics. We surround ourselves with people that share our beliefs. We can’t even contemplate how someone could disagree with us. The bubble effect limits our perspective.

The small town where I grew up contained people of every stripe from every socio-economic stratum. We went to church together, played on sports teams, and served the community in myriad ways. My dad played softball with bankers and businessmen, factory workers and farmers. Their politics were widely divergent, but they knew and understood each other. Today, it is hard to find those kinds of mixed communities. The county where I lived for twenty years voted almost 80% for Donald Trump. I am pretty sure that where I live now voted exactly the opposite. We live in bubbles.

Secondly, there is much to be learned from the study of leadership. While it is true that an effective leader command respects from their followers, it is also true that followers must feel respected by the leader. My simple analysis of the election outcome is that many people voted against their own economic interests simply because they did not feel respected by current leadership. The knowledge economy has placed a premium value on highly educated people and certain types of jobs while pursuing policies that tend to favor them. This leaves many people feeling disaffected and disrespected by political leadership. People will not follow someone they do not feel respects them. We follow people that make us feel seen and heard. Emotions outweigh policy and facts.

So, take a few minutes to evaluate your perspective. Get out of your bubble and have a real conversation with someone on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Don’t try to debate or persuade, just listen and try to understand. Most importantly, show respect for their point of view. You can disagree without being disagreeable. We live in a democracy, and you have a role to play.