Being seen in friendship and politics

Struggles with human connection

Feeling unseen

Humans’ survival has depended on their ability to form tribes. This is why ideology and political behavior are socially determined, and humans are exceptional at finding post hoc rationalizations for our group's actions or speech. Empathy, the ability to put oneself in another’s position, is essential to our success as a species and the foundation of our bonds.

I’ve noticed lately that we’re more willing to grant ourselves endless slack for our actions, accounting for the forces and motivations shaping them. We also are highly self-centered in our friendships, and I feel unseen by many of my own, so I’m writing this for others who may feel the same. I also connect it to politics below because friendship and politics have become inextricable (to the detriment of friendship). Today, a meditation. I have no particular conclusion for you.

Being seen in friendship

I’ve noticed that the content of conversations in my social contexts is much like this:

1. People take turns telling quo…