Over many years and several D&D campaigns, I have reluctantly become more comfortable with the concept of asking for help when I need it and letting someone else revel in a success. Incredibly, participating in this game with friends has not only made me a better leader and team member in real life, but it has probably also helped keep me healthy through stressful times.
We’ve had a rough go of it in 2020, and the year isn’t over yet. Between pandemic, recession, violence, and political strife, people are experiencing chronic stress in the best of cases. What if I told you there was a way to work through unprocessed emotions, celebrate successes through diversity, and release brain chemicals that are designed to keep you healthy and resilient?
Halloween is the time of year when we think of death and of natural cycles coming to an end. But what is Halloween like when we’ve already been thinking about death all year? This post examines our attraction to the expression of death in art. Watching outbreak movies during a pandemic and laughing at dark humor during times of crisis may actually be a psychological necessity.
In the time of the internet, information is at the tip of our fingers, but how that information is prioritized in reaching us is less straightforward. Our internet searches and social media feeds are individually tailored based on our unique data profiles – and the implications are much broader than what we see. How we are informed impacts how we act, and how we vote.
In the lead-up to the 2020 general election, our country seems more polarized than ever. What if I were to tell you that the divisions aren’t as big as they seem, and the candidates are closer, ideologically speaking, than you could possibly imagine? Using information from The Political Compass, see where our candidates stand on economic and social issues – and where you do too.
Choosing to stay home and limit contact with friends and loved ones can be incredibly difficult for anyone. The pandemic so far is the longest amount of time I’ve been away from my parents, with the exception of when I lived in Japan. While spending so much time apart from them has been terrible, I’ve been terrified of unknowingly passing the virus to them.
In worrying about the health and safety of my family, friends, and coworkers over the past five months, I have done a lot of research about epidemiology and best practices to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. As violent opposition to health-protective policies becomes a regular topic on the news, I wondered what contributes to such vehement resistance to scientific facts.
I did not want this series of posts to be just another white narrative in the time when we should be lifting minority voices. However, I do see the value in sharing my personal journey as a roadmap for others who aren’t sure where to start, as well as for holding myself accountable to anyone who is reading. This series is only a starting point.
I recognize I live a privileged life, and my current position has been supported by racial biases. However, the hesitance to discuss that privilege and personally-held biases presents a huge obstacle in breaking down structures that prevent progress toward social equity. This post is a public examination of the racial narratives I absorbed when I was young and how they have persisted throughout my life.
It’s a subject we’ve been taught not to talk about. But in avoiding conversations on race and the privilege that comes with it, we can’t examine or change any biases we hold. I don’t consider myself to be particularly progressive, but I am incredibly privileged. And for that reason I decided to join a discussion group on the subject of White Fragility.