Opinion: compassion is good for you, New West

What can a community do to manage and navigate the times we are currently living in? 

We have worked our way through this pandemic, the cost of nearly everything has risen drastically, we are witnessing multiple wars, housing has become unaffordable, and the climate continues to deteriorate each year. It seems like the most logical answer to this question is survive. At a bare minimum—survive.

I won’t spend any time denying that our society, and even our community, has become fractured and divided. Our opinions continue to compel us to keep each other at arm’s length, and shame each other for our different perspectives. Our reactions quickly escalate to anger when someone’s opinion does not align with our own. The evidence of this can be found on Reddit or Facebook (New Westies are the Besties!).

Where is our compassion for each other? Without compassion we don’t hear each other. It becomes about what someone’s belief is, rather than why that is their belief. It is possible to fundamentally disagree on nearly everything, yet show compassion for where your neighbour is coming from. Which in turn, can mean your neighbour listens to you, and you in turn listen to them.

I truly hope it goes without saying that there is no space for sexism, racism, and homophobia. I am in no way advocating for seeing bigotry from someone else’s perspective. What I am saying is that your diverse opinions and beliefs can be valued within a community that has compassion towards one another, and this diversity can only serve to make that community better. Currently, apathy and shame are the prominent ways we respond to each other.

What can a community do? It can act like one.

Shawn Sorenson is a longtime New Westminster resident. 

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