MORNING AFTER REGRETS?

Ah, yes, the election. Perhaps something most of us would rather forget. 

However, if we forget, we also lose the opportunity to learn.

I’ve been baffled in this process when people I thought I knew had different political opinions than I. However, one thing we agreed on was that neither candidate was ideal. In fact, “neither” was indeed the leading choice.

So, when it came time to actually vote, why did people vote the way they did?

Here’s a theory you might not see bandied about by the media: you voted for the devil you knew vs. the devil you didn’t know vs. the unknown (Republican, Democrat, third party).

Let me expand on that.

If you have lived among or been targeted by bullies, racists and sexual predators, you’ve probably learned to survive those experiences in some way. You may not like these experiences, but they are familiar and you’ve developed ways to cope with “the devil you know.”

If you’ve never been around this “devil you don’t know,” you may be in denial this happens or you may be incensed by this behavior or somewhere in between.

Similarly, if you have worked in a bureaucracy or among politicians, you probably have some idea of how that system works—or doesn’t work. Again, you may not like the “devil you know,” but you’ve probably figured out a way to work within this system if you stick with it for a time.

If you’ve never worked for the “devil you don’t know,” you may still pick up impressions about the government by listening to the media or hearing stories from family and friends. 

In either case, most people will choose the “devil they know” because they at least have some ways of coping rather than feeling totally out of control.

Further, if the “devil you know” is so hideous that you simply can’t throw your life back in that situation, you may cross your fingers and pray while you vote for the “devil you don’t know” and hope you can pick up enough tips from those around you to survive.

For most people either of these choices is better than the “unknown.” Except for a few brave pioneers, you have no direct knowledge of the unknown nor have you heard any experiences from family and friends. You are stepping into the jungle with no path and no guide. You have to fumble around and find totally new ways to survive.

However, what if both the “devil you know” and the “devil you don’t know” are totally unacceptable choices? What if the “unknown” turns out to be the most wonderful, creative life situation you’ve ever experienced? 

I’ve been thinking about this a lot and the “unknown” is beckoning like a winning lottery ticket…