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Fundamental Campaign Reform Takes a Village
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. Henry Ford The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them. Albert Einstein
It’s been said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over
while expecting different results. I assume you’re reading this because
you want different results. Perhaps you make decisions based on the
same types of debates, the same types of campaign literature and the
same types of analysis. Perhaps you vote for candidates who promise
change or a quick fix. Perhaps you’re wondering when you’ll see the
different results you want.
What follows may be quite different from what you’re used to. Set aside your expectations, take your time, and enjoy the ride. Can you think of a time when someone made inaccurate claims, perhaps out of ignorance, to shift blame, or to win an argument or election? Can you think of a time when someone didn’t seem to care about your concerns before making a decision you didn’t like? Perhaps this person listened briefly before interrupting to lecture you, or tell you that you’re wrong, or how you should or shouldn’t feel. Perhaps this person misunderstood your concerns or didn’t want to understand. Perhaps your concerns were dismissed as not important enough to change the decision. Were you expected to just accept that it’s over and there’s nothing you can do? If the above situations seem familiar, is there anything you’d like to change?
It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no
distinctly native criminal class except Congress.
Mark Twain
I’ve worked with groups of 15-20 maximum-security prisoners
consisting of different races, cultures, education levels and economic
backgrounds. After learning some fundamental communication,
problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills, the groups learned to have
respectful, constructive discussions and make unanimous decisions.
Mark Twain’s quip about criminals and congress aside, I believe that politicians and voters can also learn these fundamental skills . One difference is motivation. Many prisoners realize they need to make significant changes to turn their lives around. Politicians often get re-elected by doing the same things over and over, which includes making promises they think will please voters. As potential motivators, voters should also learn about these skills, or at least understand that change is possible. People learned to be careful about what they put in their stomachs by considering nutritional value as well as taste. They can learn to be at least as careful about what they put in their minds by considering facts and reason as well as emotional satisfaction or fear.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
Confucius
In keeping with the spirit of Confucius’ adage, I encourage you to
"do" this website. When you come to a question or incomplete statement,
think about it. Whether you share your answer with anyone is up to you.
If no answer comes to mind, share your goals and concerns rather than
giving up or asking
someone for an answer. Exploring possibilities with others may help
you clarify your thoughts, ask different questions, and discover your own
answers.
If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.
If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Any road also works if your destination is "not here". How will I
know I’m there if I don’t know where "there" is? Before I jump on a
bandwagon, I like to know where it’s going, who’s driving, and how
bumpy the ride could be. Before considering potential solutions, I like
to have a clear understanding of what I hope to accomplish. This helps
me choose an appropriate solution and helps me check for possible
unintended consequences.
When choosing a doctor, lawyer or auto mechanic, you probably look for certain qualities and assume that the person you choose has certain knowledge and skills. What knowledge or skills do you look for in an elected representative? Below are some things to consider while developing your own goals for election reform. I’ll wait for you in the next section.
Take some extra time to review your answers and imagine what might change if you get everything you asked for. If you responded to anything in the negative, such as listing things you don’t want, think of everything in the world that isn’t that. If you tell a 2-year-old not to hit, does that mean biting or kicking is OK? If you’re not sure how to express what you want but think you’ll know it if you see it:
Feel free to make any needed adjustments. If your needs are met by the current system, thanks for stopping by. If not, please keep reading. Let it begin with me.Think back to the opening questions about your own past experiences and what you want to be different next time. I can offer anyone options such as considering the needs of others before acting on beliefs or emotions, or exploring and re-considering beliefs that lead to harmful actions, but the person I can influence the most is myself. I have a few guidelines that I adjust for each situation. This is a journey toward a goal. There may be some bumps, detours, and mishaps along the way but the important thing is to learn from any problems, make appropriate corrections, and resume the journey.
The Blind Men and the Elephant
by John Godfrey Saxe
Each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong. How can we be certain that we know enough? Image courtesy of Professor Tangent
I will assume that those who disagree know something I don’t
I believe that we know more than me. I will ask questions and be willing to shift my position as my understanding deepens. I will focus on the other person as they express their own motivations, goals, thoughts or emotions. If I notice myself looking for an opportunity to jump in and respond, correct, or criticize, I will recognize that my attention is drifting from the other person to myself.
I believe that assigning fault or blame to others doesn’t automatically make me right. I will offer to explore alternate solutions together in the hope that we can both be right.
I will distinguish between observations and interpretations
If I see someone waving her arms near a toad, before jumping to the conclusion that she’s a witch who just turned someone into a toad, I will remember I only observed that she’s waving her arms and there’s a toad nearby. Perhaps she’s conducting a symphony she composed for the toad. I won’t know for sure until I ask. While pursuing a specific goal, people sometimes make decisions that harm others. I could assume the intention was to harm others, or that this person doesn’t care about others. I could also ask about the problem and offer to help explore ways to achieve the goal without harming others.
I will distinguish between goals and game-plans
People share goals or needs such as food, air, water, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In order to meet their goals, people might explore various game-plans, or solutions, such as buying food or meditating. Many game-plan involve spending money. When discussing game-plans involving money, I try to remember that the money is just a game-plan. The discussion should emphasize how spending gets us to the goal, not just how much to spend. I will look at short-term needs and long-term needs and recognize that different game-plans might apply to each. Long-term goals of a starving village might be met with seeds to grow food. Villagers also need to stay alive long enough to harvest the first crop, which requires a short-term game-plan other than eating the seeds. Will the short-term game-plan lead naturally to the long-term game-plan or make the long-term game-plan more difficult? How does each possible game-plan bring me closer to my goal?
I will speak for myself
Sometimes I have an internal response such as "that’s stupid". Before blurting out something I might later regret, I try to slow down and think about what I hope to accomplish. If others do something that I interpret as stupid, will calling them stupid make them smarter? Are the others likely to thoughtfully consider my insult, decide I’m right, and instantly change? Will finding fault with someone else make me right, or is it possible we’re both wrong? If limited options lead to slow progress and feelings of frustration, I could say that I’m experiencing frustration over the limited options and invite the other person to join me in exploring new options. Observations, interpretations, goals and game-plans may all be jumbled together in someone’s mind. What I consider a factual evaluation of a game-plan could be interpreted as an attack on a cherished goal, leading to a defensive response and a higher wall between us. Until I understand and acknowledge the goals of others, observations about game-plans may just bounce off, increasing the frustration level in both of us. Recognizing and understanding these concepts in myself makes it easier to recognize and deal with them in others. To thine own self be true.
O would some power the gift to give us to see ourselves as others
see us.
Robert Burns Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. Carl Jung Inspired by Let It Begin with Me at Professor Tangent
It’s about admitting to ourselves that we have much more in common
with others than we’d like to admit. For many people, this is the most
difficult part of the process. There’s a game where people pass a
message around a circle by whispering in the ear of the next person. By
the time the message gets around the circle, it’s often changed. As a
message travels from our ears to our conscious mind, it may be changed
by past experiences, preconceptions, emotions, or associations with
other concepts. We can explore these inner pathways by observing and
understanding our own thoughts, and then ask questions that help us
understand others.
Think back to the opening questions about your own past experiences and what you want to be different next time.
Many people find it easier to relate to others who are similar in some way. How do you know what you might have in common with someone you just met? If there are obvious differences, could there also be something positive you both share? If you both like music but listen to different kinds of music, you might look deeper and consider:
Unless I’m certain that the other person enjoys answering personal questions, I might begin by briefly sharing my own thoughts as an example of the type of response I’m inviting. I try to assure others by my example that I won’t ask something I’m not willing to discuss about myself. If the other person accepts my invitation to speak, I let them know I’m listening by my body language, eye contact, and giving them time to fully express their thoughts. When they finish, I might repeat something I found interesting or meaningful. If I’m tempted to interrupt and respond, correct or criticize, I consider that a warning that I’m thinking about myself when I should be learning about someone else. As my understanding deepens, my options increase and I may shift my own position in some way. We know more than me.
What about voting?
What about negotiating?
What about lectures or speeches?
If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.
Groups can find solutions acceptable to everyone in the group. When
I’m satisfied with a group decision, I’m more likely to help make it
work and more likely to consider the problem solved. If I’m on the
losing side of a vote, or I’m limited to choosing between unpleasant
options, I may look for ways to keep the controversy alive after the
vote is over. Making decisions as a group may take longer than voting
but could solve the problem sooner. As with voting, negotiating or debating, some
people may choose not to participate in the process, perhaps because
they don’t have a strong preference, or they’re confident that another
participant adequately represents their position.
Think back to the opening questions about your own past experiences and what you want to be different next time.
1: Explore the Problem
2: Look for Common Goals
3: Identify Resources
4: Create a Solution Smorgasbord
5: Evaluate Each Potential Game-plan
6: Decide How to Make It Work
Review
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