still thinking about this days later
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*discernment* is a key skill in navigating the world & building a better one, but this ability to tolerate discomfort is linked to it
once you discern the uncomfortable things, you have to sit with them. If you can't, you're more likely to close your eyes & stop trying to discern the truth.
working for a better world requires *discernment* and the ability to tolerate the *discomfort* of seeing reality
the powerful understand our desire to obscure the costs of things and they readily greenwash (or use some other fig leaf like helping the disabled or impoverished) everything
they weaponize people's inability/unwillingness to tolerate discomfort against them
But I think the discomfort of the world is becoming inescapable... which is driving some people mad but for many people, it might be unlocking their discernment (the willingness to look at the world more accurately) and that's key to change.
@susankayequinn I feel Ike there’s something in both your quote post and the AI branch that needs daylighting. It feels like the ability to tolerate discomfort has to be developed from a grounding of basic security needs being met. Someone living paycheque to paycheque and who is constantly facing existential threats (can I pay rent, buy groceries, or even, get kids what they want for back-to-school) is going to feel deeply *threatened*, not discomforted. That’s not a space they can work in.
@susankayequinn there are a lot of privileged people - and I can’t exclude myself - who resist discomfort because the comforts they have feel like necessities and the hindbrain response to any change in that - including just thinking about it - is very powerful. The worst of the ultra-privileged among us both build on that to use against the rest, and are utterly unaware of the reality of their own position.
