Can Politics Help Us Evolve?

Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute, writes that the moral foundation everyone shares is the wish for a compassionate society with a sense of fairness. Brooks is the author of Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America From Our Culture of Contempt. He says the importance of a moral foundation and sense of fairness is a strong American value. Compassion and concern for our neighbors and those less fortunate … the tired, the elderly, the poor … are values that transcend our political affiliations, and are common threads that unite all religions.

Many people look at politics and say it’s too debased to be a vehicle for the evolution of human consciousness, but take another look — our country is rooted in sacred principles that transcend left or right political views. When we talk to each other with respect and compassion, we often find we have a lot in common, more than those who seek to divide us would have us believe.

By working together, can the ‘decent people’ Brooks writes about forge a new vision for America’s future? Can love win over the fear that runs so rampant in our society?

I feel compelled to help in some way towards this vision, and I believe that we as individuals can make an enormous impact toward the positive uplifting of our world. Choosing love over fear isn’t easy, but it becomes easier when we help each other to make that choice. Leading with kindness and respect is always a winning message. It can change hearts and minds.