You’re probably good on facts

I started this project with the intent to focus not on the objective facts of environmental destruction or climate change, but on the subjective impact these facts have on humans. There are plenty of resources available to learn about greenhouse gases, deforestation, and mass extinctions. I assume my audience has found me because they are affected by facts and information in a negative way. I’m not here to load you up with more articles. Instead, I am specifically and profoundly interested in how we absorb all the information around us, how it shapes and melds with our identities and self-beliefs, and how we proceed with our lives with all this in tow. 

For me, the constant stream of news regarding COVID-19, melting glaciers, elections, social unrest, and much more leads to overexposure to analysis and negativity. Let’s look at the definition of overexposure from a photography perspective:

“[An overexposed image] is much too bright, to a point where it is unpleasant to look at. It is…lacking in easily-distinguishable detail, too, and does no justice to the highlights or shadows of the objects captured.”

– Photography Life

That’s kind of what it feels like, doesn’t it? Mental and emotional overwhelm makes me anxious, angry, and fatigued. I start making mental lists of “good people” and “bad people” and envisioning cataclysmic conclusions. My indignation at the world’s dysfunction grows and grows. The nuance and detail of my thinking and feeling is lost; my natural highlights and shadows are muted in favor of simple, one-dimensional arguments. I definitely become unpleasant to look at.

Inevitably, we carry forward the charged, negative energy from overexposure to facts into conversations with friends, family, and members of our community. It’s understandable: we humans have much to disagree on, and there is much at stake. Passionate debate feels necessary and democratic. But eventually, the costs of arguing and pointing to findings can outweigh the benefits. Being right is not the same as being at peace. You are not winning when you’re stressed. 

There is a way to approach interactions that doesn’t leave you drained and depleted: listen to your body; tune in to your deeper, more loving, more curious instincts. This is truly who you are. When I’m talking to someone about a controversial topic, and I feel us entering adversarial terrain, I try to reorient to how a challenging situation makes us feel, instead of what we know (or think we know) in our heads. What are we scared of? What values are being challenged? Where do these values come from? Everyone harbors precious memories; everyone cherishes something or someone; everyone is scared of losing life and love. I think people’s beliefs often stem from these depths. Showing curiosity in people’s real lives — not just the superficial contents of their platforms — brings me closer to them, and frankly leaves me with a more peaceful disposition. This is because I’m speaking the language of the body, and it’s responding: connection to others causes oxytocin, the bonding hormone, to be released into your bloodstream. You start to feel calm and your heart grows warm. We 21st century humans tend to live from the neck up. We forget we have a body. But the body has immense wisdom to offer. And it’s yours to access, for free!

A defining feature of homo sapiens, a creature that is obligatorily gregarious, is that we require connection with others. Recently, I have become acutely aware of my lack of human interaction — as I’m sure have many around the world. Craving access to simple community, without little controversy or debate, I’ve joined a local meditation center that has online offerings. Even though the sessions are virtual, seeing others’ faces on the screen and knowing there is a group intentionally coming together is immensely comforting. It is enough to bring tears to my eyes — and not just because I’m a crier. I’m consistently humbled at how effectively a little bit of socialization lifts the mood. 

We live in a time when it is crucial to listen to our emotions and intentionally soothe ourselves. I wish this for all of you soon: some rejuvenating socialization without too much mental gymnastics involved. Whether it be tea with a friend, a small yoga class, a few sentences with a stranger, or a warm cuddle, you are worthy of the humble pleasure of connecting with another human. You can set aside your drive to acquire knowledge, be an informed citizen, and demonstrate your principles for a moment, and let yourself enjoy the salve that is togetherness.