The War of Worldviews

And how we can end it.

I saw this post on Facebook the other day and it echoed something I have been exploring for a few years now: how to change the divisive culture we live in, and begin to build unity, one conversation at a time.

Though I prefer to stay out of the political fray, it’s becoming increasingly challenging. I’ve spent a good deal of time trying to determine the root causes of what we are seeing – outrage, vilification, political violence, censorship, and more – and I’ve wrestled with how to have meaningful dialogue with those whose views are different than my own. And I’m not just talking about Facebook fights: this is personal. I have had to work to find solutions with my family, friends, and colleagues.

I’m not here to argue the rightness of one side or another, but here’s what I’ve discovered: we don’t really have a political conflict, we have a worldview conflict. This is a War of Worldviews. And when you are dealing with worldviews, you have get to real, human root of those views if you want to understand…and heal, not just condemn.

How we see the world is shaped by our education, culture, economics, religion, family and media. These aren’t just abstracts, but also very much dependent upon our personal experience, and they encompass everything from what we eat, to where we live, our work, our families, and more. Our worldviews tell us how the world is, how other people are, and how things should be. Our worldviews also define how we act. For some, the world is a terrifying place requiring protection, defense and control; for others, it’s a playground full of joy, ease and wonder. Albert Einstein said it comes down to whether or not you see the world as friend or foe. It’s not always black-and-white, but by and large, we all generally fall into one camp or the other. (I’m a Friend/Playground type.)

But right now, no matter which perspective we hold, fear is running the show. Even people who are normally in the playground are starting to feel threatened. The overwhelming sense is that the world as known will change if the other side wins. For some that sense of threat is VERY loud! The world won’t just change, but will end if the other side wins! Each sees the other as a threat to its very existence. It’s a zero-sum game based on competition. Each side believes they must win and vanquish the other in order to feel safe, and safety is a fundamental human desire.

This fear is also deeply rooted in a view of how the world should be in order to feel safe. There is a right way and a wrong way. On the one hand, one view says the world should be a place where traditional values are upheld – God, family, hard work, nationalism and prosperity for those who practice those values. The other side believes the world should be a progressive place of equal rights, inclusion, pacifism, secularism, and prosperity for all (except those who don’t believe in those values). I’m speaking specifically about what’s happening in the US and other Western countries. There are also other specific worldviews out there, depending upon which part of the world you are in, but they are just variations on the same themes - fundamentalism/progressivism. Of course, progressives can be VERY fundamentalist in their views, too!

But what would happen if, instead of seeing the other as enemy, we see the human being behind the the view?

At first glance, these two world views seem polar opposites, and certainly, they appear that way in how they are discussed (or yelled about!). Neither side seems to be able to see any humanity or value in the other side’s way of seeing the world.

But what would happen if, instead of seeing the other as enemy, we saw the human being behind the the view? What would happen if we asked questions like, “What is it like to be you?” “Tell me what your life is like?” “Tell me what scares you right now.” “What are your hopes and dreams?”

Can we widen our lenses to see that each side has something to add to a world where everyone and everything thrives? Is it possible to see these world views—and the humans who hold them— as not competing with one another for dominance, but collaborating to create a world in which both are possible?

And is it possible that we can examine our own worldviews to see if we are holding beliefs that deny the humanness of others?

Now, I know that’s a big ask. We are entrenched in exclusion. It’s one way or the other. But is it possible to see that we can have both?

Radical Spirituality is a “both/and” way of seeing the world, not an “either/or.”  That’s the nature of Collaboration, one of the Ten Words explored in my book, TEN WORDS: AN INTERSPIRITUAL GUIDE TO BECOMING BETTER PEOPLE IN A BETTER WORLD (now on sale!)

If we want to live in a peaceful, prosperous and joyful world, we have to allow for the Sacred to exist in all its forms, even ones we don’t personally like. We have to see the human being beneath the slogans and doctrines (yes, we have political doctrines as well as spiritual ones). We need to reach for the common dreams and desires of all.

What do we really want? I’m going to bet that we ALL want to live in a world where we are free to be who we are, love who we want, worship the way we want, be safe, raise children with love, and have opportunities to flourish. We just have different ideas of what that might look like. But underneath it, at the root, we have the same goals and dreams.

If we want to live in a peaceful, prosperous and joyful world, we have to allow for the Sacred to exist in all its forms, even ones we don’t personally like.

I’m not saying this is easy. It’s not. But it needs to start, person to person, face-to-face, each of us willing to have that messy conversation, to heal what divides us. But I’d like to suggest a practice: instead of jumping into the ring with fists up ready to pounce or defend, try to see the people on the “other” side as human beings, whose life is as valuable as your own, whose hopes and dreams are as worthy as yours, and who, like you, are afraid that they might not be able to pursue them. Try being curious about what those hopes and fears are, instead of assuming you know. Ask questions (like those in the image above).

And, importantly, explore your own hopes and fears, the beliefs that drive your world view, and question whether or not your sense of threat is real or true. Can you allow for the views of the other, too?

If we hold the values of cooperation, kindness, and care, and want a world in which everyone and everything thrives, then we have to practice them…even when faced with what we think might be wrong. With our friends, our families, our colleagues and those we don’t know.

This isn’t about negating or changing someone’s worldview but trying to understand it. Including our own. And when we make the effort to understand one another, peace becomes possible and the world we ALL want can come to be.

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If you want to explore more about how we can become better people in a better world, pick up a copy of my new book, TEN WORDS: AN INTERSPIRITUAL GUIDE TO BECOMING BETTER PEOPLE IN A BETTER WORLD at all your favorite booksellers.