As the pendulum swings
When there has been an entrenched worldview and way of being, a polarity that negates all but itself, such as a patriarchal society, the pendulum of change is likely to swing hard in the other direction before finding a place of more balanced equilibrium.
As it does it hurts the innocent, those caught in the momentum of change.
When those who have been suppressed for a long time suddenly find a place to speak and be heard they will at first speak tentatively, then with increasing volume, until the conversation becomes loud and central and feels to many like it is all there is.
Those who held the dominant position for so long, a place they had grown comfortable in, feel a sense of entitlement. To continue to hold this position, one giving them power over, and access to so much more, is something they will fight for, often using nefarious and hypocritical means to do so.
Ultimately it is a change in the power equation.
Our current world is experiencing this in many areas. The patriarchy, the caste system, governance.
This tectonic shift indicates a maturing humanity. Like the teenage years it is messy, bumpy, hurtful, uncertain.
The central conversation is to maintain our ground that all life has intrinsic value. Power over another is an immature form of being.
To have rights without responsibilities is the domain of the child, not an adult.
If we are in the dominant caste (white, rich, male, or in a political position or any or all of these), then we might look to creating the opportunity for those who currently are not to find a way to become our full equals. To do this, we first need to recognise our own often unrecognised power.
Photo taken March 6th 2021
