Thinking and Feeling
Frankly #89
The human brain has proven to be particularly good at breaking down all sorts of things into categories and dichotomies - even our perception of the world itself is often split between ‘thinking’ and ‘feeling,’ shaped by the sensory input we receive. It seems that our values, beliefs, opportunities – even how we define ourselves as individuals – are limited to opposing and polarized options. Yet, does this binary mindset only lead us toward more blind-spots?
In this Frankly, I unpack the influence of beliefs on our feelings, and how it ultimately affects our actions. As global risks and complexity intensify and those with political power accelerate deeper divides, adopting an integrative perspective will become essential for fostering connection, cooperation, and civility. The over-reliance of the last few decades on objective facts and science is no longer enough. Now is the time to re-align our analytics with values and emotions that will light our path forward through challenges of the next few decades.
What might we achieve if we moved beyond dichotomies and embraced dualities, recognizing the importance of both sides of the same coin? Is it possible for western cultures to embrace our ‘feeling’ capabilities, without losing our trajectory of great contributions to science and knowledge for the world? Lastly, in what ways can we as individuals shift the way we relate to the world - to integrate thinking and feeling - so that we might remain engaged and informed citizens during these uncertain times?
In case you missed it…
This week, I was joined by national and homeland security authority Dan O’Connor to discuss what he sees as the most pressing risks for the stability and resilience of the United States. Dan emphasized the critical role of energy in shaping our societal structures and the need for adaptive resilience and personal responsibility in the face of systemic risks.
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First day of spring and northern Florida glimmers in jade, emerald and every kind of green leaf color and loads of pink. The birds are returning and the trill of the northern parula challenges the Carolina wrens. Our evil empire continues to support killing children in Gaza, and spinning fake narratives left and right. A little blue heron just landed in our marsh and sits next to a turtle.
Focus on midterm elections and getting the Zionist lobby out of our politics. Lean left on class issues and stop emphasizing division. Democracy is messy and the oligarchs have overreached. Going for a walk!
That the trajectory of your interests have recently led you to focus more on beliefs makes sense to me. And taking a one step at a time approach is really all we can ever do as much as we might 'believe' that we can plan for or avert disasters. I say stick with your group of women friends!