Day 22: Wise

I had dinner today with a friend who thinks about the world. 

We talked about everything from disparities between the wealthy and poor, the systems in place that keep those disparities, and plans for development and restoring areas of town that results in gentrification and no where for the poor to live. 

We talked about capitalistic societies and free trade, and how government regulations try to keep people from taking advantage of other people, but how unfair business still permeates, outside the government and within. 

We talked about our subconscious prejudices, and the need to feel safe, even though those sentiments result in judgments on other people and reinforces our prejudiced ways; but there is a reason for the fear.

We talked about statistics and metrics used to study social systems, and how we can’t tell if even the studies we run are inherently fair or producing true results.

We talked about the need for conversations between different groups of people, but feelings run so deep and people in their ways that anger and acquisitions fly when dialogue is even attempted.

And even with all of the problems in our world, even with all the problems in the solutions that we try to propose, there is still hope.

Being wise is not about having all the answers.  Being wise is about recognizing the issues, and being bold enough to talk about it.

(And knowing that occasionally it is ok to eat a cupcake before dinner)