This really struck me a few nights ago as I was re-watching "Mona Lisa Smile." There is a wonderful scene where Professor Watson (Julia Roberts character) takes her class to an old warehouse for a private audience with a Jackson Pollock painting. Now to those unfamiliar with Jackson Pollock, some refer to his paintings as splotches and mock them insisting their 5 year old could have done the same. And as you would suspect, Professor Watson's students reacted in much the same way. Her instruction to them was simple "consider it." She made it clear they did not have to like it or even write a paper on it - just consider it. It was in that moment that I realized that we as a society are so quick to conclude that very little consideration is ever given.
Having had the opportunity to view a Pollock myself, I will say it is overwhelming. The size is consuming and the chaotic nature of the paint strokes draws you in. Will you discover some deep personal or spiritual truth - maybe, maybe not. But, taking the time to consider it is a worthwhile task. In consideration your mind winds through question after question - why, how, how long did it take, will he do this again? Walking through all of that your mind gains new knowledge and you are wiser.
The act of consideration though has a more powerful daily application. We as a people are so very divided and we label people more than ever before As we scroll our way through Facebook, I am certain there are those you now simply scroll past without even reading. Those are the people you thought you knew - but now you believe you really know - and what you know you don't like. You no longer consider anything they share or post. Maybe you have even hidden them from your newsfeed. But, to unfriend them would be so inconsiderate. Really? Because you stopped considering them the minute you hid them from your feed.
The sad thing is, our failure to consider removes all ability to learn. There is a dangerous tendency these days to only consider things that align with what we believe is true and skip over everything else. This behavior is what lead to the deception of the electorate during the 2016 election. Sure, we can blame those at the Internet Research Agency for social media disruption. But, really at the end of the day the blame lies at the fingertips of every single person who liked, shared, forwarded or tweeted something that was inaccurate. There was a complete failure to consider the source or to consider if it was truthful. When we engage in promoting things that are false, like it or not we are accountable for it
Growing up my parents encouraged me to put myself in the other persons shoes. It was one of the most important lessons I ever learned. It came in handy when I was getting to know my Mother In-law. One would assume given all that was in her basement that she was a pack rat or even maybe a hoarder. What I learned was that my mother in law grew up in a country that experienced a large amount of instability - as they were invaded and fought over repeatedly. She grew up poor in a small village in Cyprus. Holding onto things was not an act of laziness or poor housekeeping. It was an act of being prepared and being able to take care of your family no matter what.
The absolute lack of compassion you hear from pundits over the current Zero Tolerance Policy - lacks any consideration whatsoever. These pundits peddle their point of view regardless of new information and new circumstances. When you can mock crying children and liken the tent city in Tornillo, Texas to sleep away camp - you have lost all credibility. We must try to understand what these children are feeling. We must try to understand why a mother would walk hundreds of miles in the heat. We must begin to question the talking points when so many tried to gain asylum through legitimate ports of entry and were turned away. In order to solve these big problems we need some deep consideration.
As we live our daily lives consideration of the world around us is a good discipline. It could be morning and you are in line to get your morning coffee - you are on time - but clearly the person behind you is running late. Consider letting them go ahead. You get an e-mail that angers you - take a moment to consider why before responding in a way you might regret. We must take time to consider to contemplate or we as a society will be forever unsettled. In the wise words of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower "Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace."
