(The new logo for my compassion cultivation organization - I will be offering the full 8 week Mindful Self Compassion workshop beginning the second week of January, in San Francisco. If you are interested, reply to this email or sign up for my list at sflovedojo.org)

This week brought us a new low - attempted political assassinations, African Americans gunned down in a grocery store in a hate crime, and Jewish Americans murdered in a synagogue. All on the backdrop of what psychiatrist Bandy Lee and colleagues called the "malignant normality" of the Trump era (in The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump). If you've been following me, you know I've been writing regularly about the psychological dangers of Trump and Trumpism. Regardless of your political beliefs, I think we can agree that when powerful people turn to the "dark side" of hate- and fear- mongering and incivility, they embolden violence. A new term (to me) is "stochastic terrorism" - The use of mass, public communication, usually against a particular individual or group, which incites or inspires acts of terrorism which are statistically probable but happen seemingly at random. In other words, when messages of hate proliferate, some individuals 'self-radicalize' and carry out the commands they hear in the dog-whistles of campaign clamor supposedly aimed at "rallying the base." Indeed, the most base parts of our psyche have been mobilized.

If we are to transcend, we must find ways to cultivate our true identities and values, in connection, commitment and community. And VOTE our values, not just our wallets or single-issues. We are making decisions on what kind of country we will be. Join me in supporting institutions that promote the democratic process.

My most recent article references the de Young's recent exhibit on propaganda. I encourage you to read and share article #10 in the list below. Also, here's a poem from a few years ago, written and performed after the Oak Creek, Wisconsin Sikh Temple massacre: (more poems at my revamped website RaviChandraMD.com)

Roses and Thorns

1. Is Donald Trump a Walking Subreddit? (July 22, 2015)
2. The Power Tactics of Donald Trump (February 8, 2016)
3. Donald Trump Should Be Charged With a Crime! (February 24, 2016)
4. Trump's Language: Psychology, Politics & Danger of Disgust (March 27, 2016)
5. A Trump Presidency: The Empire Strikes Back (November 9, 2016)
6. Competing Views of Power in Trump’s America (November 16, 2016)
7. Compassion for Trump? (February 6, 2017)
8. Donald Trump as the Fisher King: #DonaldAreYouOkay? (February 16, 2017)
9. The American Identity Crisis in the time of Trump and the Kavanaugh hearings: Towards a vision of our relatedness and collective suffering (September 22, 2018)
10. Psychological Violence and Propaganda, from the White House (October 23, 2018)

Please enjoy my latest podcast interview:
 OUR SMARTPHONES, OUR SELVES: HOW TO BE A HAPPY HUMAN IN THE DIGITAL ERA WITH DR. RAVI CHANDRA AND AMY BLANKSON. 

More podcasts and purchase links at facebuddha.co.

EVENTS:

Kearny Street Workshop's APAture continues! I heard some great writing last night, and enjoyed community, at the Literary Showcase.

ThirdI's South Asian Film Festival starts this Thursday!

Please do the following:

Save the world. Twenty minutes at a time. Even if it's very badly. 

As the Buddha said, "be a lamp unto yourselves." And shine your light in the world.

Warmly,

Ravi