E Pluribus Unum?
Re: Finding unity in diversity
Now is a great time to remember our traditional national motto e pluribus unum, or “out of many, one.” It’s about finding unity in diversity, for the sake of shared progress.
Unity now? Are you nuts?! Yes, but that’s beside the point.
For 25+ years, my work as an oddball has been apolitical, encouraging diverse groups to “live, laugh, love, and learn wholeheartedly” through humor and play. Recently, discussions have inspired me to view political differences as an opportunity for all of us to learn and move forward together. Regarding differences, Albert Einstein said, “We must welcome them as the richness and diversity which can lead to true intelligence.”
So let’s talk about “the most important election of our lives.” Isn’t that coming up? Or was that the last one? I lose track. Kidding!
This is NOT about any particular election or party or leader, but about principles for progress — e.g. open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement — with support from projects like OpenMind, AllSides, Living Room Conversations, and others. (Links below.)
Who are you? Why should I care? Thanks for asking. I’m an entertainer, speaker, and teaching artist. More relevant to this discussion, I’m an independent thinker who has supported Democrats, Libertarians, and Republicans. Independent thinkers often decide elections…
We’ll vote blue, depending on who.
We’ll vote red, if they’re right in the head.
We’ll vote libertarian, to be contrarian.
Ha! My family used to say I would “argue for argument’s sake.” Now I realize it’s a gift to be able to annoy — I mean, to challenge all sides.
But seriously, I’m fortunate to have had diverse influences in my life. Whether you lean progressive, libertarian, or conservative, you contribute to viewpoint diversity. Folks like you have made possible the relative success of our nation for nearly 250 years.
To be sure, all sides have weaknesses. And we’re better together. I humbly propose “live, laugh, love, and learn” — or #LIV #LAF #LUV #LRN — to help us pursue unity and shared progress.
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⬆️ #LIV — Laugh and Invest in things of Value.
“I believe each of us was put here for a purpose — to build not to destroy.” —Red Skelton
The late comedian Red Skelton modeled laughter and investing in self and others, with his generous spirit. His humor and attitudes were informed by optimism, faith, hope, positivity, etc.. These, in turn, promote unity and progress.
Positivity? Really? Sure, we have good reasons for it. Despite setbacks, human progress is undeniable, with scientific, technological, and medical breakthroughs improving the lives of billions of people. Unfortunately, our negative response to bad news tends to be worse than our positive response to good news. That’s why we must encourage optimism, with positive values or vision.
E pluribus unum, or finding unity in diversity, is a positive value. Americans can invest in that by seeking out constructive thinkers and “both/and” problem solvers. Imagine if all the time and resources wasted on hyper-partisan politicking were invested in bipartisan problem solving!
For example, most Americans say both major parties have core issue strengths. Working together, we can have both a strong republic and a strong social democracy — economic and military strength, plus robust education, healthcare, and social programs.
Of course, the road to progress can be rough. Humor can act as shock absorbers to make the ride smoother.
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😆 #LAF — Laugh and Affirm the 4–½ F’s.
“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” —Willy Wonka
Healthy humor supports what I call the 4–½ F’s: Family + Friends + Fulfilling Work + Faith + Fun. (Fulfilling is an adjective and only counts as ½ an F.) These can all foster a spirit of unity and progress. As you might expect an oddball to say… Let’s start with fun!
Laughter is good medicine, right? Definitely. Research shows humor coupled with social connections, purpose, and core beliefs is even better medicine. (That’s how I came up with the 4–½ F’s.) These all support physical, social, and emotional wellness. I often teach people side-by-side juggling with a partner, and watch them go from “Impossible” to “It’s possible!”
We can see how fun (e.g. humor, play) fosters a spirit of unity and progress. So does fulfilling work with others (e.g. service projects). And faith communities experience these benefits. What if your family and friends are diverse, like mine? That’s awesome! Learning to affirm those who differ from us provides opportunities to learn from each other.
Besides affirmation, humility helps too. We might start by laughing at ourselves and acknowledging we’re all “idiots” — that is, we’re all ignorant to varying degrees, due to things like motivated reasoning, filter bubbles, perception gaps… And of course media bias.
I could be wrong but… I think both left-biased and right-biased media are biased. (Just a theory.) Kudos to progressives with humility to acknowledge left-leaning media bias and courage to consider right-leaning sources — likewise, to conservatives stepping outside their bubbles.
Thankfully, we now have resources like AllSides for balanced news. And lower blood pressure! Considering other perspectives is how we avoid being bigots — that’s short for BIG idiots. (Been there, done that.)
Humor and humility can also help us to love.
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❤️ #LUV — LAUGH*, Uplift others, and Value all.
“Love is the ultimate and highest goal…” —Victor Frankl
My career choice was influenced by two main people: my mom, who was a mime and fire eater (among other things), and my lifelong friend and original partner, Andrew, who was a philanthropic entrepreneur. Though we often had differing views, we all agreed on loving and valuing all people. These definitely foster unity and progress. But why is LAUGH spelled with all caps?
We show others we value them when we Listen, Affirm, and Understand, with Grace and Humor (LAUGH). Listening to understand (not just respond) and affirming a person (if not their perspective) are ways to show grace. Such practices help us connect and share our perspectives too. If we can employ inclusive humor (not biting sarcasm), all the better.
*LAUGH = Listen + Affirm + Understand + Grace + Humor
But love THOSE people?? We are all wired differently, with regards to risk-taking and novelty-seeking, which tends toward differing politics. (This cartoon explains it well.) So it doesn’t make sense to broadly condemn progressives or conservatives, Democrats or Republicans, toilet-paper-over or toilet-paper-under people. Wait. Scratch that. Paper-under people are EVIL.
Note that wired doesn’t mean “fixed.” We can all learn and grow. Also, libertarians might lean left or right, they just agree not to force others to live like them. Valuing non-aggression and non-coercion, libertarians favor free markets and voluntary collaboration over government-coerced solutions.
Collaboration can start with affirmation. Progressives might give Republicans credit (*gasp*) for pre-COVID economic gains, Middle East peace deals, or confronting the global human rights threat of communism. Conservatives might give Democrats credit for raising awareness of disparities, and focusing on the needs of underprivileged groups. Libertarians might give fascists and communists credit for reminding us what we don’t want! Anywho…
If our aim is love, then listening to and affirming the dignity of others, even if we disagree, is a good start.
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📖 #LRN — Laugh and embrace Risks & Nonsense.
“We don’t have any chainsaws? Not any?! How am I ever going to learn how to juggle?” — Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes)
Humor and playfulness can encourage positive risk-taking, whether learning new skills or considering new ideas. They can also help us reframe negative or limiting thoughts about ourselves or others. Let’s be real — for some, learning from “those people” may seem as impossible as juggling chainsaws!
As with anything, we take this step by step. If we value positivity, humility, and unity, we should be open to viewpoint diversity. To debate without hate. To be more curious, less furious. To drop the negative nonsense.
Positive psychology affirms the value of diverse perspectives, including progressives, conservatives, and libertarians. While there are other groups, these represent three main viewpoints. Note that “progressive” is sometimes used to describe the left, as “liberal” means something closer to “libertarian” in other parts of the world — i.e. favoring free markets, property rights, and individualism.
Research points to shared moral foundations and how we emphasize them differently. Progressives emphasize compassion and fairness. Conservatives add to these loyalty, authority, and sanctity. Libertarians carry the torch for liberty. Though we have shared foundations, we think differently. Individual thinkers have been compared to neurons in a brain who, together, can produce good reasoning. Knowing this can encourage us to value and learn from others.
What if progressive Democrats valued loyalty and authority more, to reign in anti-Americanism and anarchists? What if conservative Republicans valued compassion and fairness more, to better serve underprivileged groups? What if Libertarians valued… er… not being so weird? (I resemble that remark.)
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For anyone who longs to live, laugh, love, and learn — and move forward together — resources like these can assist:
- AllSides and AllSides for Schools are assisting with news literacy and critical thinking.
- Heterodox Academy is reinvigorating open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement.
- OpenMind is helping academic, corporate, religious, and other communities learn and grow.
- Living Room Conversations, Braver Angels, and others with the Bridge Alliance are bridging ideological divides.
Lastly, you might’ve noticed L is for Laugh in #LIV #LAF #LUV and #LRN. That is superfluously redundant and purposeful intentional. Humor supports positivity and humility, and can help us find unity in diversity. May we all keep our sense of humor!
#Progressive #Libertarian #Conservative #EPluribusUnum #Unity
