Absolutely. The rise of Trump and the alt-right shows how shame is an unsustainable mechanism for social change, though most people in the US still seem to be a

Absolutely. The rise of Trump and the alt-right shows how shame is an unsustainable mechanism for social change, though most people in the US still seem to be applying shame/outrage. Trump and Russian bots have also shown how emotionally reactive we are, as a people. I see this as the result of us not teaching emotional responsibility and boundaries as part of normative cultures. Learning and practicing nonviolent communication is how I started learning to navigate my emotions at age 33. 2.5 years later and my life is completely different, as a result. I highly recommend it for anyone who's having difficulty witnessing where humanity is presently at. Also, turn off the news and social media while learning it. Learning to be different from the norm can be really hard when the norm's so persistently reinforced. Besides, if I can't read something without maintaining a mindful perspective, I'm not ready to clearly think about it, much less choose a loving response in action/word to it. If I can't affect the world in a loving, sustainable way, I prefer to get myself into a headspace where I can, rather than react.