When Life Gives You A Rotten Orange

 

I am not okay.

And if you are not okay either, know that such a reaction is reasonable, and that you are not alone, given the current political circumstances.

Sleeping was really difficult for me last week, and at times, even in warm surroundings, I felt cold and shivery. Concentrating was hard, and often there was a sense of denial about what had just happened. There were moments when I just wanted to find a dark closet, close the door, and curl up in a fetal position. Nausea came and went, and watching the news felt, and still feels, impossible. There’s a deep shame about my country, and I am heartbroken and horrified for my Ukrainian friends, whose situations are far worse than mine.

Here in the United States, our lives are going to change, perhaps dramatically and in ways we mostly won’t find to be terribly positive, particularly if we remain passive about the situation.

I do not plan to remain passive.

Instead, I plan to proactively take command of many aspects of my life to produce desired future outcomes. Let’s look at some of the most important strategies we might consider right now:

1. Don’t Panic.

It’s important not to make rash decisions when overwhelmed by shock, depression, or exhaustion. Rather than be an overnight and immediate distruption to our life circumstances, the changes that we will experience because of the last election will take months and even years to play out. While the situation may feel dire, we can take some comfort in the fact that we have time to reflect and make thoughtful decisions. Let’s resolve to approach this with calm and care.

If we decide to change our lives in response to current events, we should do so after conducting thorough research into alternatives and carefully planning how to achieve the outcomes we desire.

The new political regime in the United States will begin on January 20, 2025, but the full impact of any changes will likely take time to be felt in our daily lives. Most of us have the opportunity to make well-considered plans and act thoughtfully.

2. Recognize That Irrational Actors Are Reshaping Our Society

In this situation, both collective psychopathy and rational self-interest are driving societal forces with harmful repercussions that can be recognized and, to some extent, anticipated. Due to the influence of Putin and his allies, both foreign and domestic, we are witnessing one of the largest and most effective gaslighting operations in our country’s history.

Remind yourself that Trump was elected by a majority of voters who thought it was just fine to give the nuclear codes to a life long criminal, grifter, and rapist with an extensive history of failed and dishonest business endeavors, who has engaged in sedition and treasonous activities against the United States, and who meets the clinical definition being a malignant narcissist and sociopath.

Do not forget that those who supported his re-election are, knowingly or unknowingly, undermining the very values you hold dear about America. They are not acting rationally—these are individuals with deep-seated issues that are beyond our capacity to fix or address.

Those individuals will now have the chance to reap what they have sowed. As you focus on protecting yourself and your loved ones from these same consequences, remember that you have no obligation to explain your actions to those responsible for this situation. Nor should you seek their approval for any changes you make in your life, or worry if your choices offend them. Any efforts to shield them from the consequences they’ve created—not only for themselves but for the good and decent people of America—are likely to be futile and unappreciated.

3. Avoid Deceptive Perceptions

As the famous physicist Richard Feynman once said, “You must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.”

At this moment, the most important deceptive perceptions to avoid are: denying the gravity of the changes that are coming or expecting that most Americans will quickly come to their senses and change course.

Let me be clear: in this election, the majority of American voters effectively chose to abandon our liberal democracy. They opted to embrace racism, fascism, misogyny, theocracy, and a mafia-like government. They rejected living in a secular nation founded on science, empiricism, expertise, truth, justice, decency, and the principles that once defined the American way.

Democracy has faced a significant setback. The results of our recent election could steer America down a challenging path for years to come, making resistance to upcoming changes and efforts to mitigate the new administration’s impact critically important.

While a strong reaction to unfolding events could potentially drive a shift in America’s direction over time, realistically, any reversal may be neither easy nor swift. This outcome could bring lasting change to both America and the world.

Unless we can personally admit this reality and find a way to deal with it, there is no real possibility of finding a rational path forward. Right now, while we should be concerned about the world in general, we must also focus on our own lives and well-being, or we will never find ourselves in a position to fight for our principles another day.

4. Engage In Disaster Preparation

While we can hope for the best, we must also prepare for the worst. It’s crucial to consider the potential negative consequences that could affect us personally and how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones—whether by avoiding such circumstances altogether or having a plan to respond if they become unavoidable.

In addition to the global political chaos likely to follow such a dramatic change, substantial economic instability, decreased environmental protections, widespread strikes and protests, and increased gun violence are possible, if not probable. We will likely witness the rapid and continued degradation of our educational and medical infrastructure. Over the longer term, lacking environmental protections, we will likely witness rapidly rising sea levels and global temperatures that will bring increasingly frequent fires, storms, floods and droughts causing massive loss of life and property.

America had an opportunity, collectively, to address these critical issues. It chose not to. But that doesn’t mean we are powerless. We can still make decisions to reduce the risks these circumstances pose to ourselves and our loved ones.

5. Make Discerning Predictions

We must plan for what is likely to happen in the future, rather than assuming the current situation will remain static. As hockey great Wayne Gretzky once said, “Skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

While we can draw on our life experiences and insights to anticipate how things might unfold, there’s no crystal ball to tell us exactly what will happen. What we can be assured of is that in the ensuing chaos: 1) not all dire predictions will come to pass, and 2) it’s likely that other unforeseen challenges will unexpectedly arise. We must stay flexible, ready to pivot and respond to new circumstances as the world changes.

While I wouldn’t presume to predict where financial markets will go in the long term under the new regime, it’s clear that one should be extremely cautious in interpreting any short-term post-election market movements as indicators of long-term performance.

What seems more certain is that our world will grow more turbulent and chaotic, with financial markets likely reflecting this through increased volatility. For some, shifting to less risky investments may be a sensible strategy, even if it means sacrificing potential upside in exchange for mitigating the risk of greater downside.

6. Remember That Distress Also Creates Opportunities

This is a dreadful situation, but it also presents opportunities. The greatest opportunities often arise during times of crisis and distress, when we are pushed beyond our comfort zones. Periods of significant change are always fertile ground for those who are ambitious and agile enough to seize them.

There will be plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs involved in benevolent endeavors, particularly those focused on helping those negatively impacted by the coming events.

However, it’s important to recognize that opportunities will also emerge for those engaged in malevolent endeavors. We will witness those who seek to exploit the misery of others rather than help them. A government based on personal loyalty is likely to turn a blind eye to schemes and manipulators who provide benefits to the ruling powers in exchange for non-enforcement. Those seeking to despoil the environment, evade consumer protections, or exploit the ignorant and vulnerable will likely thrive.

7. Be Determined and Proactive

We should always strive to be a cause of the future, not merely a result of the past. The future can be better than the present, and each of us has the power to shape it. What are some things you’ve always dreamed of doing but never had the courage to pursue? If opportunities to act on those dreams arise—perhaps even outside the United States—this could be the moment to go after them. Remember, doing nothing is also a choice.

8. Dance Passionately

Even with all the chaos in the world, that shouldn’t prevent us from working to make our small corner of it a little better. We can still strive to bring many of our dreams to life while celebrating the gifts we already have today.

In times of distress, there are always opportunities to show leadership—and now, more than ever, that leadership is needed.

I may not be okay today, but I know I will find a path to being okay again soon. We can either allow national and global circumstances to dictate our future, or we can take responsibility for finding options that will improve our quality of life and that of those around us.

Those decisions are ours to make.

No one else gets to decide for us.

Cliff Kurtzman
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