I have been thinking about this clip a lot over the past few days. In particular the phrase (I’m paraphrasing from the video here) Extremism is easy because it gives you enemies that you can place all the blame on. This is something that isn’t being realized in the discourse now. Everybody is hurting. Everyone goes through the internal struggle. Whether it is mental health, financial etc. We all want to feel safe. That feeling of safety can be easily found by creating enemies outside of ourselves.

I’m trying more and more to recognize this in myself. When I am angry at someone, taking the moment to empathize where the other person is, realizing that in that position I might go there. I saw this last night in watching a documentary on police corruption. The simple emotion to have is anger at the police who ruined lives because they felt a need to protect themselves or the group that was involved in the corruption. This on it’s face is evil in my opinion since it is putting your needs before the needs of others when, as a police officer you have sworn to protect others. That of course is easy to write, since I am in the privileged position of not being a police officer or other public official. But the examination of this is important within oneself and within the society as a whole.