Good Vibes, Please

                Throughout my life, when things seemed chaotic, and I felt as if I had no control over anything, I would remember an old Zen Buddhist proverb, “If the problem has a solution, worrying is pointless, in the end the problem will be solved. If the problem has no solution, there is no reason to worry, because it can’t be solved.” Due to the turbulent political situation, I have thought of it often today. It seems that Americans, by a strong majority, at the very least, want to see some change. Change that may come in unknown forms, from hyper-capitalist economic policies to authoritarian tactics, there are a plethora of issues and topic that will come to a head.

                Throughout my life, however, I have always made a point of trying to embrace the unknown. Socrates himself said fear of the unknown is foolish. We must go forward with heads up and eyes forward, hoping for the best, but also preparing for the worst. In times of uncertainty, positivity is key, following the tradition of utilitarianism, we must work for the betterment of all men, and women. Donald Trump’s election may be unnerving to many of us, but we should respect the fact that our political system, the Americanized Democracy, chose him. If we believe that, perhaps, this illustrates some flaws in the two-party system that may need to be changed, I’m sure many people would agree. With some political work done by the people, four years from now, we might be able to get something better than the proverbial shit smelling contest we have now. 

              This solution, however, will not come without two things, work and positivity. While many of us do not agree with Trump’s policies thus far, we can agree with him that the political system is not what we glorify it to be. Trump, with the people working with him, will work to change the political background of America, but if we work against him, nothing will change for the better. With the extreme technological ability of the United States Government, Trump’s nastier side could manifest in ways not yet thought of. Until we see a change in American politics, we must hope that the current form provided us with someone who will work for the true betterment of the country. Not promote civil unrest that will result in more restriction and more government intrusion in our lives. In this time, we need to stay positive as Americans and work together for change, not against each other.