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Tara, this piece is so beautiful! It’s a comfort to encounter work that makes one feel less insane. I think that’s why it’s so important for us to keep working and putting out content now, so thank you.

I recently shared this post from Mandy Patinkin on IG—it’s full of commenters who used to vote republican and changed their minds, and what prompted that change. I found it very heartening and it also feels of a piece with this essay. Here it is:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DB8y0EUuV8u/?igsh=MWJ0cWh2ZHl1aDE3dg==

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I love this on so many levels and in so many ways. I think I prefer a metaphor of thawing a frozen worldview into water that can flow into something new….

The whole explosion thing is a bit intense for me. That said, when I’ve had those type of epistemic shifts, those “whoaaah” moments when I can see the limitations of how I think about the world, it has felt more like an explosion in my mind.

I also think in addition to empathy, compassion is an important ingredient because it can be very destabilizing!

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Powerful analogy! And powerful concept to help us better communicate from basics and up. Your example of valuing family also resonated. I feel like it's a basic most people can agree on, but we see it so differently based on what else we believe or have experienced.

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