Best Of

My initial reaction is that it isn't necessary to agree with someone in order to understand them.

I have quite a few thoughts that I hope might help, but they're scattered and a bit random so this post will probably be all over the place.

I'm not a conservative, I'd consider myself a center left moderate with libertarian tendencies (at least by US standards). I find myself having more in common with center right people usually than I do with the progressive left, as such I too often feel out of step with many of the Buddhist and academic spaces in the world today. I'd say its better to learn where people are coming from and try to understand, or steel man, their point of view, rather than rely on often strawman version presented by your own ideological bubble.

I think there is a more general trend going on that the internet has brought about. With the ability to connect with anyone around the world it made it much easier to interact with others with similar views and interests. I think this has been a very positive development in many ways, I've been a contributor here going on 12 years now, with other like minded people. However being able to do that has also meant that people now often mainly interact only with people who think like themselves. This leads to thought bubbles where opposing opinions aren't heard and ideas aren't challenged or tempered. This is an issue for society at large today and academia isn't immune. The left lean there has gone from maybe 4 to 1 left to right to more like 15 or 20 to 1, and some disciplines conservative thought is non existent.

Anyway, lots of people, especially those with minority status have a similar sort of experience to yours. That they want to participate in something but feel very out of place. Its helpful if these places can make room for differing experiences and points of view, but its not always an easy task.

Just today Dan Harris had on the author of an article written several years ago, "The elephant in the meditation room". About a conservative view of Buddhism. The article, the podcast, bonus article by the same author

If you're after a less left biased source for psychology and spirtuality I can recommend the top rated psychology podcast, The Psychology Podcast. The host Scott Barry Kaufman is more of a classical liberal than a conservative, but the general perspective doesn't lean so heavily to the left. Also, the YouTube channel Rebel Wisdom takes more of an integral approach to spirituality (if you're familiar with Ken Wilbur's Integral Theory). Let me also throw in a pitch forBraver Angels Braver Angels and their mission to help facilitate conversation across the political divide.

@SattvaPaul

This is probably nothing you have not heard elsewhere but us Buddhists are known for our endless repetitions of the obvious.

There is no need to unquestionably swallow anything, whether in a university course or here.
A diligently met meditation practice can teach you how to be able to allow whatever data passes through your sense gates, an unobstructed passage that is not deliberately clung to, rejected, or ignored. To the degree that a student can develop such a practice, a wider intelligence beyond the limitations of a self, an acquisition, a possession, the habituated conditioning of identity or the support of tribal membership, becomes accessible.

Here, a ceasing from evil, a doing of good & a clarifying of your heart/mind can be all that is needed to lead you where to go and where to stay.

That’s nice @ShanJieshi2

But a sure fire way to make me not do something is to tell me I have to.

Maybe I’m not so different to Mr Putin 🤔

Carry on