Last night (we went to bed early)
Good afternoon and welcome back to The Jumpstack! This time, we’re spooked by the reflection of ourselves in the dark mirror that was the federal election, and figuring out how to move forward. Let’s jump in!
A seat at the pundit table
This federal election reminded me of Donald Rumsfeld’s famous quote about the “unknown unknowns”: the things we don’t know that we don’t know.
The election was filled with revelations: Justin Trudeau’s apparently serial blackface; Andrew Scheer’s true private sector experience as a temporary insurance clerk, and not an insurance agent; Warren Kinsella working on behalf of the Conservatives to take out Maxime Bernier’s party. As a result, most of us watching the election coverage thought we’d be in for a long night.
We were wrong.
The Liberal minority was called before 10:30 p.m., but not without a bounty of surprises: the resurrection of the Bloc Quebecois; Fortress Toronto repainted as the Red Keep; and the NDP losing seats instead of gaining them.
This election was also like running through a house of mirrors—exhausting, confusing, frustrating… and not particularly worth it afterwards.
It was also 10 months of unchecked narcissism from the leaders of all parties, which, even after the results, led to the hilarious image of them all giving speeches at once, fighting for airtime:
The networks provided us with enough tables of pundits to give the audience a flashback to the anxiety of entering the high school cafeteria. I spent most of the time trying to figure out who people were more than on the things they said.
Luckily for us, there remains one constant on election night that I feel all Canadians can identify with: the multitudes contained in the not-quite-a-smile, not-quite-a-frown non-committal shrug of Chantal Hébert.
The dark side
Maria Popova provides a timely dive into Ursula K. Le Guin’s About Anger, a thoughtful reflection on the emotion that drove so much of the messaging of the federal election.
Quite often, we rely on anger because we don’t understand or don’t want to acknowledge the other emotions that are behind it:
My fears come down to fear of not being safe (as if anyone is ever safe) and of not being in control (as if I ever was in control). Does the fear of being unsafe and not in control express itself as anger, or does it use anger as a kind of denial of the fear?
While a formidable weapon, one must have self knowledge and a clear understanding of the target for it to be used effectively—otherwise the damage can be self-inflicted.
The light side
Dan Gardner explores the trait of humility through a series of studies on the characteristic and finds new purpose for the ancient virtue in our modern world:
The rise of loud self-confidence and ideological extremism can make humility seem unappealing.
But humility can also be a safeguard against losing yourself to such things, and help cultivate what you personally hold dear:
In the new review paper, Dr. Van Tongeren and his colleagues proposed several explanations for why humility, intellectual or otherwise, is such a valuable facet of personality. A humble disposition can be critical to sustaining a committed relationship. It may also nourish mental health more broadly, providing a psychological resource to shake off grudges, suffer fools patiently and forgive oneself.
Humility is a type of self-respect, in that when we more clearly see our own limitations, we can also see the limitations of others, and don’t feel threatened or diminished by acts of empathy or compassion.
We can also extend proper focus and energy to our goals, rather than towards licking our wounds.
Gardner wonders if humility can be learned for positive impact. I think humility must be sought.
Humility is not stumbled upon by accident, but found only when you commit to the search of yourself. And then, it’s a practice, not a fixed state of being.
Humility is work.
Tough luck
Tonight, the Toronto Raptors have their ring giveaway night: the first home game of the season, and the celebration of winning last year’s championship. Kyle Lowry gives us his view in his refreshingly direct way:
In this article, Lowry talks about the personal and professional struggles that brought him to this point, touching on distrust, anger, and humility—and the path forward, taught early to him by his grandmother:
For a long time I didn’t understand why. But once I became a dad, it made a little more sense. It was her way of teaching me about toughness. Was it a perfect way? Will you find in parenting books? Nah, you probably won’t. But everyone has their own different ways of doing things and showing you their love and how to become a better person.
Don’t fight.
But if you’re going to fight? Win.
And that’s it for The Jumpstack this week! But, if you’re in Toronto, come join me at Revue Cinema for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory this Sunday, October 27, at 12:30 p.m. We’ll have our annual Halloween costume contest, and we have The Chocolateria providing their fantastic chocolate tasting bars for attendees. (If you can’t make it, I’ll eat one in your honour.)
— Jump