The Ripples of Engagement
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
(Cirrocumuli Field Notes)
Yesterday I watched two people talk—really talk—about politics. Not shouting, not posting, not retreating into algorithmic corners. Just a long, intense, frustrating conversation between two human beings trying to make sense of the mess we’re all swimming in.
They went at it for a solid half hour. Body language animated but respectful. No fists. No eyerolls. No easy exits. When they finally paused, both looked a little worn down. A little exasperated. You could see it on their faces—“Why don’t they get it?”
But maybe that’s not the point.
We’ve grown so used to measuring political discourse by conversions and victories—by who came out on top or who changed their mind on the spot. But that’s not how people work. That’s not how learning works. Engagement isn’t always about being right. Sometimes it’s about being real. Present. Willing to risk the discomfort of not being agreed with.
In the mid-90s, I was invited to hear Noam Chomsky speak. I disagreed with almost everything he said. I sat there thinking, This guy doesn’t have a clue. But I heard him. I really heard him. And over the years—through a hundred different glitches in the matrix, through moments of crisis and clarity—I’ve had to admit to myself, Oh fuck… he was right.
That moment didn’t change me on the spot. But it left a seed. And that seed has rippled outward for decades.
That’s the kind of engagement I hope to nurture - to learn - not the kind that wins arguments, but the kind that plants something deeper. A habit of listening. A muscle for holding tension. A willingness to stay at the table even when it would be easier to walk away.
We don’t need everyone to agree. We need more people who are willing to stay in it. Because democracy doesn’t require unanimity. It requires presence.
And sometimes, that’s more than enough to begin.
