How We Got to Now (2024)

19/06/2021

Juneteenth.

Thank you to for putting this into perspective. Read her book ‘Caste’ if you haven’t already.

18/06/2021

Let’s chat about the history of Juneteenth celebrations.

Further reading: “A Brief History of Juneteenth” at time.com; “Slavery Didn’t End On Juneteenth. Here’s What You Should Know About This Important Day” at npr.org; “Why’d it take so long for some of us to find out about Juneteenth?” at theundefeated.com; “A resource guide for Black liberation, just in time for Juneteenth” at latimes.com; “Books about Juneteenth have been on shelves for decades” at stltoday.com; “What Is Juneteenth?” at pbs.org; “Fact check: Barack Obama mentioned Juneteenth multiple times while president” at usatoday.com; “The History of Juneteenth Celebrations” at thoughtco.com; and of course Wikipedia

18/06/2021

Say it with me: We should be criticizing our own party as harshly as we criticize opposing parties.  Thank you to for the collaboration!!

17/06/2021

When we talk about generational trauma, it’s often used to discuss how certain mechanisms (like PTSD or alcoholism) can affect the genetic makeup in offspring.
But generational trauma isn’t just a biological mechanism. It’s also a societal mechanism that can determine how we approach and interact with the world around us.
For example, if our parents experience abuse growing up, it will inevitably affect the way they raise us and, in turn, will affect the way we raise our own children.
Generational trauma is at its most dangerous when it occurs within a large group at the same time. And it can determine how the group’s offspring will operate within their society for generations down the line.
Oftentimes this trauma is invisible to the larger society. But it is still there. And it plays an enormous role in the assumptions each of us make, the role we play in our society, and the way we view others.
In order to change our society for the better, we must acknowledge and address the traumas experienced by our ancestors. Otherwise, we allow these wounds to fester and deepen.

16/06/2021

Think of our world as an old home that’s been passed down to us. Old homes come with their fair share of issues: rotting wood, leaks, missing shingles. And the longer we let these issues fester, the worse they will become. Sure, our ancestors may have created the issues, but we are the ones who now living in that home. So, it’s up to use to replace that rotting wood, to seal that leak, and replace those missing shingles.
Today’s quote is taken from Isabel Wilkerson’s new book, “Caste”. It’s a fantastic read that exposes the underlying & subconscious racial hierarchy in American society. Highly recommend.

15/06/2021

Eight ways you might be contributing to division.

14/06/2021

Constitutionalist (aka Originalist): someone who interprets the Constitution based on the original understanding “at the time it was adopted”.
Textualist: someone who interprets the Constitution based on the context and intent on which the original adoption took place. The general belief is the Constitution must be interpreted to fit a modern & ever-changing world.

14/06/2021

Everybody’s a constitutionalist when it comes to the 2nd Amendment, but suddenly they’re a textualist when it comes to Religion and Government.
Further Reading:
“A History of Legal Challenges to the Pledge of Allegiance” at constitutioncenter.org
“Who created the Pledge of Allegiance?” at history.com
“‘In God We Trust’ becomes nation’s motto, July 30, 1956” at politico.com
“History of ‘In God We Trust’” at treasury.gov

10/06/2021

The four most important things How We Got To Now stands for.
Empathy.
We must approach all situations & people with empathy, even the situations & people we disagree with. Remember, empathy is not the same as sympathy, and you can understand why someone feels the way they do without sympathizing with them. If we do not empathize with others, especially those we disagree with, we’ll never be able to identify the actual causes of the issues we face today.
Context.
Every situation requires context. Nothing is as clear-cut as it first seems. And without understanding the full context, we allow ourselves to be manipulated by those who push a specific narrative for a specific social, political, or financial end-goal.
Nuance.
Things are never completely good or bad. And real life isn’t a fairy tale where the villains do bad things because they’re bad. Real life is complex, and no one believes they’re the villain of their own story. Don’t be afraid to seek nuance in the political & social issues we face today, and remember, just because you voted for someone, it doesn’t mean you have to agree with them on everything. And it doesn’t mean you can’t criticize them.
Love.
Spread love everywhere you go. You can’t control others, but you can control yourself. And if someone else spreads hate, then you should spread love in return.

08/06/2021

I started writing this post with the intent to examine LGBTQ+ cultures throughout history, from the beginning of time to today. Once I started my research, however, I was blown away by just how open early cultures were to gender fluidity, same-s*x relationships, & s*x in general.
Obviously, the cultures we emerged from did NOT feel the same way about these things. So, it got me thinking. Why did these beliefs fall out of favor? The answer is difficult, and we have to acknowledge that certain ideas don’t survive because they’re good ideas. They survive because the cultures they emerged from were in the right place at the right time.
Look at European Catholicism during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged at the perfect point in human history, right as a technological explosion began. This made it very easy for Catholicism to quickly spread around the world.
You could argue that Catholicism was successful because they were aggressive & domineering. This is only somewhat true. Sure, these traits made it easier for them to expand, but they still had to be in the right place at the right time. Many ancient cultures who were open to s*xual expression were also aggressive & domineering, but they weren’t in the right place at the right time.
This is why s*xual repression & intolerance spread across the globe, because certain cultures were just in the right place at the right time. Here’s the truth: our modern culture is mostly defined by chance, and the ideas we’ve normalized are only normal because certain societies existed at the right time.
If we want future cultures to normalize gender-fluidity, same-s*x relationships, & s*x in general, it is on us to set these standards today. It’s the perfect place and time to do so.
Further reading: “History of homos*xuality” at Wikipedia (it’s trustworthy, don’t let people tell you otherwise); “Judaism and Homos*xuality: A Brief History” at haaretz.com; “Christian Intolerance of Homos*xuality” at jstor.org; “A History of Homophobia” at rictornorton.co.uk; “Babylonian Captivity” at Britannica.com

07/06/2021

Just a peek inside the old noggin.

04/06/2021

Obviously we’re facing a lot of division these days. But it’s not really surprising when you look at the tools driving this division.
You’ve got human evolution, which created specific emotions and mental shortcuts designed to protect us. They’re super strong emotions – because they used to LITERALLY save us from death.
Our emotions and mental shortcuts are manipulated on a daily basis. Through advertising. Through social media. Through the news. Through politicians.
The tactics that are used to sell us Toilet Paper on TV are the same tactics used to manipulate us into voting a certain way. There’s nothing different between a dangerous government propaganda team and a private company’s PR team. They discuss the same underlying biological mechanisms on a daily basis: how do we get people to pay attention, how do we get them to remain loyal, how do we get them to stop buying from a competitor, etc.
Human attention is the most powerful mechanism on the planet, greater than even money. Because if you don’t have people’s attentions, you don’t have money.
It’s all a vicious cycle. Private companies learned advertising techniques through government propaganda. And governments learn propaganda techniques through private companies. And through each iteration of this process, the people in power learn how to be more and more efficient in manipulating our thoughts.
So, how do we stop it? Well, placing more strict laws on lobbying and market/government cross-intervention would help. Changing our voting laws to promote third parties would also help.
But, really, it’s a difficult issue. Because as our societies become more complex and more educated, we also learn how our brains work at a deeper level. And there will always be people willing to manipulate these processes. Sure, we can learn to counter certain tactics. But by the time we successfully counter one tactic, twelve more tactics will have emerged.
It’s an ongoing issue that we will have to continuously address. It’ll never go away. But the more aware we are of the tactics CURRENTLY happening, the better equipped we’ll be to counter the next set of tactics.

04/06/2021

Media Bias & the COVID-19 Lab-Leak Theory.
I’ve been meaning to write a post on this issue for the past week (I’m still planning to put together a larger breakdown in the coming days). However, as I was doing research, I found this post by and found it very, very illuminating.
I’ve never done a repost before (and I don’t plan to make it a habit), but I think more people should be aware of this issue. It’s all very alarming & concerning to me.
Big thanks to for putting this together. And thank you for allowing me to reshare.

03/06/2021

Happy Pride Month!!!!
I know I’m a little late to the celebration - I’ve been out of town & taking some much needed time off. But is back and SO ready to celebrate Pride Month with you all.
I’ll be posting about LGBTQ+ history (both ancient & modern) a little later, but I thought I’d share some context right here: s*xuality & gender fluidity have commonly existed throughout human history.
The Vinaya (Buddhism) identified four genders in 300 BC. Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations wrote prayers for divine blessings on same-s*x relationships. Native American cultures were very accepting of gender-nonconforming individuals. The Laws of Manu (Hinduism) mentioned three genders over 2000 years ago. The original K**a Sutra (whose origin also goes back at least 2000 years) recognizes gender-fluidity and offers extensive coverage of s*xual acts involving various gender preferences.
Our ideas of s*xuality, same-s*x relationships, gender, gender-roles, and gender fluidity emerge from the standards that past generations adopted and chose to pass on. Humans decide these things. Not anyone or anything else. That’s what history shows us. And if we want a more accepting and healthy world, it’s on us to set and adopt new standards that will shape future generations.

30/05/2021

A wonderful quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt (and yes, he did create Japanese internment camps during WWII, but the sentiment of the quote transcends his sh*tty actions).
Thank you for providing the idea .grit

28/05/2021

I’ve been seeing a lot of memes sh****ng on Trump supporters and conservatives. I thought it would wind down with the Biden’s election, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
As a liberal, I understand the view here. We want a better world - one that is more accepting, more equal, more just, and more healthy. Trump supporters & conservatives seem like an existential threat in achieving these things (which has gone on for far too long). I empathize with the sentiment. I really do.
But I also don’t think the approach we’re taking is helpful in the slightest. In fact, I think it is very, very damaging.
First, Trump supporters aren’t some small group. They’re enormous (Trump had 74 MILLION VOTES in the 2020 election). And guess what? Voter turnout increased for Trump in every major demographic EXCEPT for White Men (1% decrease). Black men and women increased by 6% and 5%; Hispanic men and women increased by 4% and 5%; White Women increased by 3%; and Asian and other ethnicities increased by 7%.
Lumping all Trump supporters and conservatives together does ALL OF US a disservice, because it prevents us from understanding the WHY. And engaging in dehumanization prevents us from really digging into the CORE issues at play. And it does damage in two ways:
First, it pushes those on the other side of the aisle away. And both sides stop being curious about things. We don’t seek to understand WHY, we just dismiss. And when we dismiss, they dismiss. And it turns into a vicious cycle of dehumanization and dismissal.
Second, it undermines our own ability to create real change. Because when we use these tactics, the other side isn’t more likely to vote or support our causes in the future. They’re less likely. And, unfortunately, their votes count just as much as ours.
If we claim to be the more progressive, empathetic, & science-driven group, then shouldn’t we approach all issues with these principles in mind? Everyone is a product of their environment, even the people we don’t like. And we should ALWAYS seek to identify and address the root issues at play through the use of empathy and science. And we should never, ever, dehumanize or dismiss others.

27/05/2021

Misinformation Techniques: they’re EVERYWHERE. So watch out for them.
Why does misinformation exist? Well, it’s three primary reasons.
First, it’s intentional misinformation and the data doesn’t align with the specific narrative. Which is super dangerous because you can convince A LOT of people of something even if reality doesn’t agree.
Second, it’s easy. Headlines and simple infographics are easy. Diving into the ACTUAL data takes a ton of work.
Third, it’s NOT intentional and the person who created the article, story, or infographic doesn’t realize they’re doing something wrong.
Unfortunately, all three reasons lead to the same result: all of us get misinformed. So, the next time you see a news story, an infographic, a stat, etc, keep this post in mind!!!

27/05/2021

Today’s post is a bit of a downer, so I apologize in advance.
Human proactiveness has been on my mind for a couple of days, and I’ve been TRYING to find an example of humans successfully being proactive (if you think of an example, let me know in the comments).
Humans (and all life on Earth) are vastly reactive beings. Which isn’t bad. It’s helped us get out of some tough spots. And we’ve learned a TON from past mistakes. However, we haven’t really encountered a situation quite like Climate Change before.
We’re reaching a point in human society where we have the capacity to destroy ourselves. No other species on Earth has ever had this capacity. And no other species has ever had to think ahead to prevent self-destruction. Because even though bad things have happened and tragedies have killed MILLIONS of people, they’ve always been situations that haven’t threatened the ENTIRE human race.
But Climate Change is much, much different. Because for the first time in human history, the threat is ahead of us. And we don’t have time to learn from our mistakes.
Climate Change will be THE true test of the human species. It has me worried. But I sincerely believe we DO have the capacity to address the issue. However, we will need a MASSIVE shift in the ways we view our world and the ways we approach our problems.

25/05/2021

Human civilization in a nutshell.

24/05/2021

research, statistics, and data are not the same as Research, Statistics, and Data.
research is looking something up.
Research is a lengthy process guided by the scientific method, peer-review, & actual statistical methods.
statistics is info presented anytime & anywhere.
Statistics is a detail-oriented process that uses randomization, variable control methods, confidence intervals, and regression analyses.
data is info presented anytime & anywhere (it’s a lot like statistics).
Data is raw information that is enormous, randomized, dense, and ultimately meaningless until someone uses a specific Statistical method to interpret it.
a big thanks to and for giving me the idea to cover this issue.

21/05/2021

The coalition is a collection of organizations who have joined together to build relationships & bridge divides by bringing Americans together across the political spectrum.
I’m very, very, very proud to announce that I have joined the coalition. For anyone who is familiar with me or my page probably isn’t surprised by this. HOW WE GOT TO NOW is ALL ABOUT bridging divides through empathy and context.
But that’s not the ONLY announcement here.
Because the coalition and will be hosting a two-day event called AMERICA TALKS on June 12th and 13th.
This event is going to be AWESOME. Here’s how it works: simply visit the link in my bio and click ‘SIGN UP’. You’ll then be asked to take a short survey to figure out your political orientation. Then, on June 12th or 13th, you’ll join a live, one-on-one video chat with someone from the other side of the political aisle.
But that’s STILL not everything.
Because AMERICA TALKS is just the start of an incredible week of conversation, healing, and healthy dialogue known as the NATIONAL WEEK OF CONVERSATION.
The fourth annual NATIONAL WEEK OF CONVERSATION will take place from June 14th – 20th and features an assortment of events designed to create dialogue and defeat toxic polarization. There are SO MANY events to choose from – and you can join one or you can join them ALL.
(HOW WE GOT TO NOW will ALSO be hosting an event – so stay tuned for further announcements about this).
To sign up for ANY event this week, click on the link in my bio and THEN click the dropdown menu at America Talks. There, you’ll see ‘NWOC’. Click on THAT and start signing up.
Anyways, I’m SUPER excited about all this (have I said that already?), and I sincerely hope you’ll join and in a much-needed week of conversation and healing.

18/05/2021

We often look at current events through KEYHOLES.
KEYHOLES are the easiest way to provide news. It doesn’t take a lot of work for media companies to create these stories, and it take even less work for us to consume them.
Providing news through KEYHOLES is a very intentional strategy by those in power. It makes it VERY easy for interested parties (politicians, corporations, the media) to frame situations any way they want. Their goal is to keep you emotionally attached. Providing context & nuance weakens their ability to do so.
However, real life doesn’t operate through KEYHOLES. Real life is complicated and nuanced. And the stories we see on the news are NEVER fully contextualized.
Unfortunately, we can often be tricked into thinking these KEYHOLES provide the full story. But they never do.
When we open the DOOR and look at the full story, things ALWAYS look different than they first appear through that tiny little KEYHOLE.
ALWAYS look for more context. And NEVER be afraid to find the nuance in seemingly straightforward stories. Context, nuance, and empathy are the best ways to beat misinformation and division. Don’t let anyone force you to choose otherwise.

17/05/2021

Why is there so much violence in the world?
The easy answer is that it’s in our DNA. But I think this answer avoids the truth.
Humans really only resort to violence when there is no other perceived option. And violent situations seem to occur for two core reasons: when leaders make it happen (war, direct oppression) or when a population becomes desperate, unequal, or unstable enough (often through government neglect).
On one side of the equation, we must ensure that our leaders have our best interests in mind. We cannot continue to vote in leaders who apply band-aid after band-aid to our issues while ignoring the REAL causes.
On the other side of the equation, we must ensure that leaders cannot unilaterally declare war or strip citizens of their rights.
These problems are extremely difficult to solve. But things are looking up, because we’re alive during the most peaceful time in human history. Studies also show that the happier a country’s population, the less likely violence occurs.
So what’s the answer here?
Governments MUST prioritize its citizens above all else, which is obvious to many of us, but, unfortunately, is not obviously for many others.
We must provide a safety-net for our people. We must provide better healthcare, better education, and even a basic income. No one should be struggling.
I also believe that when a government cares for its people, the people will become better informed and able to vote for leaders who ACTUALLY care about people.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Have a great rest of your day!

16/05/2021

A little list of books that have expanded MY mind (and I hope they expand yours too)
“Braving The Wilderness” by Brené Brown
“The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin
“Made To Stick” by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
“The Future of the Mind” by Michio Kaku
“This Changes Everything” by Naomi Klein

13/05/2021

I’ve been hearing many statements the past couple of days conflating government/group criticism with racism. Do not mistake criticism of one for hatred of another. The world is a nuanced place. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

13/05/2021

The #1 Recipe for Instability in the Middle East.
Let’s chat about this for a hot second: this recipe is not unique to the Middle East. Pressures like inequality, economic instability, & corrupt governments tend to create extremism & further instability. It happens everywhere. And oftentimes, instability and ongoing change causes people to fall back on some sort of stability mechanism, like religion (it provides an immutable set of laws that are 1000+ years old) or the ‘good old days’ (we know what to expect, so it’s easier to handle). Sometimes these are one & the same – which is the case in many parts of the world (“life was better and more predictable when religion dictated our laws”).
Every person on Earth has the same underlying biology. And when instability occurs, the reactions are generally the same. Sure, the underlying set of laws & circumstantial variables can change the ACTUAL outcome, but the causes are virtually the same EVERY time: inequality (a small middle class), government corruption, enormous change in a short period of time (aka ‘systemic shocks’). And in nearly every situation, these things lead to political & social polarization/extremism, power-vacuums, in-group/out-group dynamics, protectionism, nationalism, populism, persecution of ‘the other’ (this can be political enemies or minority groups), government oppression, and war.
Once we recognize that human civilization is ONE GIANT RECIPE, we can start to identify the recipe items that ALWAYS lead to disaster. But if we continue to ignore these recipe items, we are doomed to repeat them OVER and OVER again.

11/05/2021

Happy Belated Confederate Propaganda & Revisionist Day, South Carolina!
Thanks to for putting together the info on these slides.

11/05/2021

Nuance!

11/05/2021

The future of the Democratic Party is being paved by the following 6 people. That future is diverse and progressive and reflects this country. It’s important you get to know them. Let’s talk. • This is a post I worked on with . Thanks again for the opportunity!

How We Got to Now

19/06/2021

18/06/2021

18/06/2021

17/06/2021

16/06/2021

15/06/2021

14/06/2021

14/06/2021

10/06/2021

08/06/2021

07/06/2021

04/06/2021

04/06/2021

03/06/2021

30/05/2021

28/05/2021

27/05/2021

27/05/2021

25/05/2021

24/05/2021

21/05/2021

18/05/2021

17/05/2021

16/05/2021

13/05/2021

13/05/2021

11/05/2021

11/05/2021

11/05/2021

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