This talk continues to explore how Buddhist principles and practices can be beneficially applied during this contentious U. S. political season. There is a phenomenon called “negativity bias”, which predisposes a person to unconsciously be stimulated by potential dangers towards negativity in response to the circumstances. This applies to both Democrats and Republicans. Within both parties, negativity bias orients individuals and groups towards conservative positions, that is, becoming defensive/aggressive, with rigid thought processes. Liberal orientations promote more open-minded, adaptive and integrative dynamics, and these orientations can exist in both political parties, as well as those inclined towards registering as Independents or Libertarians.
This conversation will be continued with next week’s topic, provisionally entitled “How Mindfulness Cultivates Political Wisdom”. Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: MINDFULNESS AND POLITICAL JUDGMENT