“Mirror, mirror on the wall”
In the story of Snow White, the Evil Queen used the magical mirror to ask, “Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?” The mirror responds by telling the Evil Queen she is fairest until one day it tells a different story; that Snow White is the fairest.
This is but one example of the stories which have been used to teach children (and adults if listening) the importance for all of us to have the courage to face ourselves and the world.
During this time of great cultural and political upheaval in the United States and in many other parts of the world it is tempting to point out to the Queen that she is old, evil, and not the least bit attractive while at the same time holding up our own magical mirror which blocks the truths we do not have the courage to face.
The magic mirror provides temporary comfort. Whether the mirror is reflecting the boxes into which we have placed other people, situations, or concepts or the boxes in which we have placed ourselves, eventually the mirror will reflect the fact that the boxes are essentially the same. I am reminded of the mirror in the fun house at the fair. The mirrors can be a fun distortion of our features but because we know that they are distortions, no one is harmed. Yet, it we look carefully we will see a reflection of what will happen as we age or when we do not rid ourselves of the internal poison which blocks our ability to connect with the best in ourselves and others.
I was just writing to a friend about the fact that in the United States many candidates for local, state and national political contests are forced to decide if their focus is integrity or winning no matter what lies are told and who is damaged in the process. No matter the political party of the candidates it is tempting to assert that the opposition is indeed the evil witch.
As with any business enterprise it is very important to clearly define the mission or purpose of attempting to be elected to a political office. The possible goals are:
- To beat one’s opponents; to win no matter what it takes.
- To offer the voters an alternative plan for the city, state, or nation.
- To ask the voters what they think would improve the community, state, or nation and outline a plan to makes that manifest reality if elected.
- To create a safe place to explore potential short and long term goals.
- To attempt to paint the opponents as an evil witch while not necessarily offering alternative goals and plans.
- To feed one’s ego by having a place in the history books.
The magic mirror of politics in todays world is what used to be called propaganda. Now it is “fake news” which can be outright lies, rumors, or partial truths. One can doctor or alter videos, photographs, or any other information. One can manipulate statistics or spend an inordinate amount of money to overshadow one’s opponents. One can also directly or indirectly blackmail other politicians. One can choose to focus on one issue which is so important to a powerful group of constituents that they will feel forced to vote for that person.
If one’s opponents use the magic mirror to win, it may be impossible to beat that person or machine unless one is willing to use the same magic mirror.
Short term, the results of losing an election might be very harmful to many. Long term, one has to believe that the magic mirror has, as did the one which the evil queen used, a limited shelf life or life span. Eventually the magic mirror will reveal the evil queen who is actually a scared little girl who has learned to bully as a shield for her fear and pain.
Written February 10, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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