You may remember the tale of the North Going Zax and the South Going Zax from Dr. Seuss’s book “The Sneetches and Other Stories.” In short, these two species of Zax were so prideful and stubborn, they refused to compromise on anything, to the point that they just stopped and got stuck and the world went on around them.
From politicians to preachers to pundits, it seems the only thing anyone talks about is what they’re against, never what they’re for. That makes for some pretty pointless Zax-like communication. If all I know about you is what you’re against, we’re going to have a hard time finding common ground. But if I know what you’re for, we’re likely to realize we share more commonality than we might have expected.
We’re going to need to find where we can agree and cooperate if we’re to survive and thrive, and that’s not possible if all we can talk about is what we’re against.
“What are you for?” sets an entirely different tone than “What are you against?” One brings energy into the conversation and one sucks the life out of it. One propels us forward, one tangles us up in futility.
It’s time to start having those positive conversations. Time to stop acting like Zaxes.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
