Don't Tolerate Diversity. Celebrate It.

 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” claims Thomas Jefferson in the United States Declaration of Independence.  As much as I would like to agree that this statement from an all-so-important document in United Sates history is true, I can’t. I just can’t.

Access to crucial institutions and resources such as education, love, leadership, followership, art, literacy, health, and money are so widely varied that many have little to no chance to develop the opportunity to even dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A few weeks ago, I participated in an activity that made this painfully obvious—again.

The world would be a very boring place if everybody were the same. If we all looked, behaved, dressed, and spoke the same way there would be no reason to explore what we all have to offer. We would never need to ask a question, because we’d all have the same set of information, perspectives,  and opinions. How bland. Not only is it boring, but also a lack of diversity exposes us to all sorts of risks. Diversity of thought leads to innovation that solves or mitigates man of the world’s problems. Remember polio? The vaccine never would have been developed if nobody ever thought, “Hey, what if we fought the virus with the virus?”

We often say we value diversity, yet behavior often suggests otherwise. We, more often than not, gravitate towards people who remind us of ourselves. We form strong bonds with those who share our political views, sexuality, race, gender, schools, and geographic location. We often harm those we view as outsiders, whether it’s intentional or not. In doing so, we harm those in our group as well, making dissenters invisible and creating a culture in which fear of retribution prohibits people from speaking up. Things become more complicated when we analyze the interconnected roles discrimination play in perpetuating class disparity and access to resources and institutions. It’s a shame that it often takes a tragedy or catastrophe to make us realize that one thing that binds us together is that we’re all human.

A diversified portfolio is the one investment method we know works. Investing all of one’s money in one security exposes that person to unnecessary financial risk many of us aren’t willing to accept. So why do we put ourselves at such social risk? It’s not the world most people claim they want. But it’s the world we continuously create.

I am making a consious effort to better understand the complex outcomes that are derived of my actions. Maybe one day we will transcend the idea that we need to “tolerate” differences to the practice of “celebrating” them.

Eating at the 5 Spot

Had a great breakfast at the 5 Spot in Seattle. It's ranked among the top ten breakfast spots in the city and I can see why. Great food. Great atmosphere. Plus, gotta love Rocky on your menu.

Taking Ownership of "Externalities"

This post may also be read at Red, Brown, and Blue—a multicultural political commentary news site.

Ewww, gross! I know, I know. If you’re like most people you probably don’t want to think, hear, see, or say the term.

I think it’s funny, not so much that the study of economics is inherently humorous, but rather that we have taken something so nuanced and complex and simplified our understanding of it to nothing more than “supply and demand.” It’s about time we became more critical of a system that has such wide-ranging effects in our lives and helps shape the way we see and interact with the world. It’s about time we became more creative in the ways we address the economic issues that have plagued us for so long that the terminology has infiltrated common language (e.g., market, globalization, economy, interest rates, taxes, etc.).

After losing interest in economics during my undergraduate studies, it was renewed the moment I discovered Steven Levitt’s Freakonomics (I definitely recommend the book and the podcast,Freakanomics Radio). As I read the book I kept thinking, “Yeah, this is an economic analysis of this situation.” Although I enjoyed the book, I couldn’t put my finger on quite what it was that made it feel like such an important read. Of course the author kept the narrative interesting—in it he writes about sex, drugs, crime, and poverty. If he had added gummy bears I’d be all in. I finally realized, though, I found his relentless questioning of established institutions the most important constant. Many of us have lost our childlike drive to ask questions. After being told something so many times, we eventually believe “it is what it is.”

The problem with passively accepting what we’re told is that, in doing so, we perpetuate and excuse a lack of understanding and appreciation of the subject matter. We often see this lack of understanding manifested as stereotypes. Now, sure, the average person needs to know exactly how a Lorenz curve describes equality about as much as the average person needs to be able to explain every part of the process that makes your hair stand up when you drag your feet across carpet or play with balloons. However, we do need a basic understanding of economic concepts. The oversimplification of economics is detrimental because it allows us to be complacent when we should be active. We tend to accept things to be true just because we have been told that in some way, shape, or form we will inevitably reach equilibrium. We believe that it will all just work itself out. This thinking is dangerous.

We live in a society where unemployment, deaths of workers, and irreversible environmental and economic damage are considered externalities (which means a secondary or unintended consequence) that need to be internalized by paying settlements and fees rather than providing a system of change to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Let’s delve a little deeper into the concept of externalities. Wikipedia says: “In economics, an externality (or transaction spillover) is a cost or benefit, not transmitted through prices, incurred by a party who did not agree to the action causing the cost or benefit. A benefit in this case is called a positive externality or external benefit, while a cost is called a negative externality or external cost.”

According to this definition, if we must reduce potable water in a rural town by 30 percent, subject marginalized communities to inhumane working conditions, or convert once lush lands into toxic waste dumps in order to produce goods for our ever-increasing consumption diet, then it just “is what it is.” What’s ironic is that this concept only truly applies to industrial and commercial organizations. If, for example, I caused half as much damage in the pursuit my own success, those “incurred costs” wouldn’t be called externalities—they’d be called crimes. While some of those crimes might only require I pay a fine or commit to community service, many would call for my incarceration. The real difference is that I wouldn’t be permitted to repeatedly commit those crimes, whereas businesses are. Now, I am not anti-business or anti-corporation. I think that a lot of companies are doing a lot of good things. I think, for the most part, we are doing the best with what we know.  But there is always room for improvement, always a reason to strive for better.

The preliminary count of fatal work injuries in the U.S. in 2010 was 4,547 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). I think we owe it to at least 4,547 families to keep working. They’re not externalities. They’re people. Let’s really look at the economic and value systems we have in place and make them better. Take action. Make changes. Make them work for us, not the other way around.

"Peace" - A Short Story

Last week I attended orientation for Bainbridge Graduate Institute as a member of Cohort 10 (C10). On the third day, we were asked to have a “silent morning” and reflect on why we have chosen this path. I found a large rock on the shore of Channel Rock and sat there. The following short story is what came to mind as I reflected and meditated:

My view off the coast of Channel Rock

I didn’t end up where I thought I would. But when I arrived, I knew this was where I needed to be. It wasn’t the view, or the sounds, or the sun that brought me here. In fact, it was slightly cold, slightly murky, and slightly dark. No, it wasn’t those things, but rather it was the feeling that this is where I belonged, here, in this moment—the feeling of peace.

Not long after I arrived did I become acutely aware of the living and non-living beings who welcomed me into their company. “Strangers we are not,” they told me. “For we have been here all along, waiting for your arrival. Welcome.”

Closing my eyes, my consciousness transcended from the acknowledgement of those around me to the connections we share. “We’re not here for you,” they explained. “And you’re not here for us. We’re just here…existing…for each other. For without me there is no you, and without you there is no me. We all come together, and through appreciation, we combine to make this world beautiful. Remember that, as you pursue all of your endeavors. We may appear to be stationary, but we arrived here too, just as you did. We will continue to exist, and the things we do, however inconsequential they may seem, will affect you; just as the things you do, however inconsequential as they may seem, will affect us. Keep that close to your heart, mind, and soul thus we may continue to not only co-exist, but co-appreciate. And please, remember to come visit, for we love you more than you could ever know. If not us, our descendants will be here to welcome back you and yours. Peace.”

So I sat and I thought…and sat…and thought…

The word slight, which I used earlier, suddenly became more significant in my thoughts. Earlier I used slight to describe what I was sensing. Now I realize that it being slightly all of those things helped me reach a higher plane of consciousness. The temperature was just cold enough for me to breathe more shallowly. The wind blew just hard enough for me to feel it. The water flowed just loud enough for me to hear it. The small rocks shifted under my feet just enough to make me feel unsure. The sun was just high enough for me to notice the darkness. They all came together for me to take notice of everything around me. They came together to say, “Hey, we’re here,” and nothing more… “We’re here.”

I guess the word I was looking for was gentle. No, better yet…peace.