Compassion is your superpower, even when it comes to the 2024 Election

When you get angry, really angry at someone, who suffers? Especially if it’s someone you don’t know and will never meet. Do they suffer or do you suffer?

Think about it. How many times have you watched cable news and seen Donald Trump, or some other Republican politician do/say something appalling or offensive? Of those, how many times have you gotten demonstrably angry?

Who felt the pain? Donald didn’t. He doesn’t know you. He has no idea that you were mad at him.

Trump suffered no consequence from your anger, all the while your heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels skyrocketed. None of that is particularly good for you.

We frequently do more damage to ourselves when we get angry than we do to the people whom we’re mad at.

One surefire, powerful way to mitigate anger is to become a faithful compassionate superhero. Compassion negates anger. Compassion creates a healthy personal ecosystem.

I’m not, by any means suggesting you cultivate a sense of compassion for Donald Trump. I wouldn’t ask you to do something that I’m incapable of.

Trump is a mentally unstable, emotionally fragile, deranged man. He’s a tortured soul. Under different circumstances, and at a different time, I might just be willing to seek compassion for him. I’m not there yet.

At present, he’s too destructive and too dangerous. He poses a significant threat to the foundational stability of our democracy. For now, I’m still working on keeping my anger, my blood pressure and my cortisol levels in balance whenever I hear his whiny, self victimized, round lipped, false teethed, fake-pancake-color-faced voice.

Clearly, I have some work to do.

After he loses the election, and once the US justice system determines how and if he will be held accountable for his crimes, then, I might carefully consider compassion for his tormented state of existence.

As an alternative, how about we consider stepping outside of a different, less irritable box of rage? What if we use a current, embarrassing, potentially historic moment in the cable news cycle to tamp down our anger.

What if, right now, we were to practice compassion for a very unstable, Republican misfit?

Republican Congressman George Santos may get booted out of the US House of Representatives today. If congressional republicans have the balls and the moral clarity to actually expel him, it will be good for the legislative branch and for the country.

Santos is a charlatan, a habitual liar, a pathetic conman and a pathologically insecure individual. He’s emotionally unwell, unfit for office and just another hard-to-believe its real character in the dysfunctional, GOP legislative circus.

Nonetheless, I chose to have compassion for him and I think you should do the same. He’s not well. The guy needs help.

Credible news reporting suggests that Santos has been making things up and pretending to be someone he’s not since, at least, his days in high school.

The Washington Post reported that he even lied about being a volleyball star in college. That isn’t rational behavior.

I’m not suggesting that we give Santos a pass. He certainly appears to have committed crimes. The US justice system will adjudicate them and hold him accountable.

But, for your own sake, for your personal well being, use this moment as an opportunity to practice compassion.

Having a sense of compassion for George Santos will lower your heart rate and your blood pressure. The effort will better prepare you for the emotional ups and downs that you’re likely to experience during the 2024 election season.

Joe Biden, assuming he is the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, will win the election. Even so, as campaign season progresses the media certainly take us on an emotional/poll driven rollercoaster.

The ups and downs, the dopamine spikes and the cortisol hits will keep us tuning in day and night.

Compassion is one of your key tools to get through it without losing your mind. It’s a superpower that may be difficult to cultivate at first. But, I promise you, it’s worth the effort.

The George Santos saga provides a no-lose opportunity to dip your toe into the compassion pool. I dare you to challenge your default emotional status and give this try. You’ll be surprised how good you feel.