Reading

Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none.

Benjamin Franklin, quoted in Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life by Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard

Listening

So there it is. What news do political junkies demand? Outrage and gossip. Why? Because it’s alluring. What news do we avoid? Local news. Why? It’s boring. What do we think of our partisan opponents? We hate them. Do we really hate them? No, but politics is more fun if we root for a team and spew anger at the other side. It’s easier to hate and dismiss the other side than to empathize and connect to them. When do we vote? When there’s a spectacle. When do we click? When politics can be a frivolous distraction. When do we donate? When there’s a cocktail party or a viral video. What are we doing? We’re taking actions not to empower our political values but to satisfy our passion for the sport of politics.

Eitan Hersh on Hidden Brain, “Passion Isn’t Enough: The Rise Of ‘Political Hobbyism’ in the United States“

Watching

What happens when we apply intentionality to the act of taking photos?