Diversity is nature’s playful obsession with beauty and connection. Racism is when we get stuck on labels and cling to a reduced version of people’s reality. And there are all kinds of ism’s.
Why do ism’s exist? Maybe to nurse our artificial nerves. I don’t know but it arises with a bias that we all carry: confirmation bias. It’s where we look for evidence that validates what we already think is true. Confirmation bias blocks learning because it promotes a fixed worldview. Ism is always on call and self-importance keeps it alive.
Being Persian, I notice racism in myself and my own culture. Racism towards others and towards our own people. Yet even noticing this, the challenge is to constantly check my own assumptions. It’s why I’m obsessed with going slow because slow opens new doors. The challenge is the emotions, namely the emptiness I must ultimately face, alone. The good news is we can engage playfully. When in play we hold ourselves lightly.
Ego is obsessed with attaching convenient labels to things. Our better angels are obsessed with breaking old patterns through play. Joy runs deeper into eternity than grief even. Where there is play, ism’s burn away.
Play is a core competency for mental health and success. My friend Gary Ware founded Breakthrough Play and he is crushing it, helping people unleash their creativity with his oasis of games.
Given we all operate on a bed of assumptions we all have the potential for ignorance. Ignorance is not bliss but we don’t have to walk on eggshells to truly connect with others. We can practice mindfulness, empathy, storytelling, among other things. The emptiness we carry deepens the human story.