We Are What We Do.

The age of the internet has made the dissemination of information astonishingly easy.  We can communicate with people around the world instantly, and essentially for free.  Lots of people, and including myself, spend a fair amount of our time reading what other people have to say, and making our own comments on the matter.

While there is the greatest access to information there has ever been, rather than a consensus being reached, or a debate based on information and respect, it seems humanity is intent on dividing itself into camps that then yell at each other.  If you don't fit into a category, if you agree with some things, but not others then you are out of that group.  Whether "you are with us or against us" or "if you aren't part of the solution you are part of the problem" the point seems to be that what matters is what you think and believe, and believing some of the wrong things is grounds for exile.

I, on the other hand, believe that what matters is what a person does.  I think a person's opinion, and any statement they might make about that opinion, are simply words.  Those words only have power if they change the actions of someone, even if that change is only new words.  If your opinion and words don't change anything then you simply said them to say them.  Maybe it makes you feel better, in which case you say things to make yourself feel better.  I certainly do this.

People don't like the idea that you are what you do.  We much prefer the subjective view of what we are to the objective facts of what we do.  We like to feel we are compassionate people who are here to make life better for other people.  We like to feel we are open-minded people who make our judgments based on the truth.  We like to think we are healthy, well-adjusted people and so those who fundamentally disagree must have character flaws.  We like to think we are egalitarian, free of bigotry, tolerant.  Probably the most common thought about ourselves is that we are powerless, that we would do good things if only we had the power.

But what do we do?  What proportion of our time, resources, and effort do we put into ourselves in comparison to everyone else on the planet?  Now, it is quite unreasonable for these to be equal, after all the person best equipped to look after you, is you.  Still, there are 168 hours in a week and we don't need all of those to keep ourselves alive, safe, healthy, and entertained.  When searching for the truth how many of us look for a range of opinions, follow the science, go back through the history, give multiple views a real shot and then perhaps admit that we don't know the answer?  Do we actually go to a place that we habitually visit because we find it easier, probably because the viewpoints there are the same as ours?  Do we really know enough about those with whom we disagree to establish that their opinions are from a character flaw?  who gets to decide what is a character flaw?  Do we actually treat all people, from all places, with all views, in essentially the same way?

I have a friend I meet at the bar.  He is an older Texan, believes in God, owns a firearm, distrusts the government and wants it to be reduced.  He believes in pure free market capitalism, and that rich people don't owe anything to anyone.  In terms of politics we disagree on almost everything.  In terms of religion we entirely disagree.  He devotes a substantial amount of his time to organizing, helping, and funding a charity, as a volunteer.  More than anyone else I know.  Is he more or less compassionate and caring towards the poor and disadvantaged than a lefty who marches in the street and posts their outrage on Facebook.  I think so, because he does something.

Here comes the hard part.  The stories we tell ourselves about ourselves are to make ourselves feel good.  They are there often to hide things we dislike about ourselves.  We all know ways that the world can be made better.  We all know how much time, effort and money we put into those things.  We are what we do, and part of what we do is lie to ourselves about what we do.  We know that pizza we just brought costs twice as much as a life saving vaccine for someone in absolute poverty.  We know somewhere around us is a hospital or shelter or food bank where we could volunteer and make a difference.  We all know how the government can be changed and what is needed is a person of determination, honesty, ethics willing to be that person who organizes things to make a difference.

If we don't do the things that we think should be done, then we don't really believe they are important enough to be done.