BY BOB FUSELIER
Los Alamos

While the discord, distress, and division that I see surrounding us today may be greater than any other time in my life, I know our nation and the world has faced much greater troubles and survived. However, that knowledge alone doesn’t bring much solace since I’m well aware that discord, distress and division can serve as a positive feedback mechanism, causing greater discord, distress, and division if left unchecked. The end result is pain and suffering for all, but more so for those who are marginalized and voiceless.

It’s a natural reaction, when one feels threatened, to retract from exposure and retreat to that which brings us a sense of security. That is the role of the fear emotional system: to remove us from that which threatens us. It’s also natural to react in anger when we feel we can’t escape from that which threatens us. Anger stems from the emotional system that provides us with the energy to fight off anything that might either harm us or take from us that which we see as the resources we need to survive. Fear and anger have their roles, but they also have their limitations and negative consequences. Both lead to more distrust and greater discord, the opposite of what we as a social species need to grow and prosper.

During times of stress, we are also more prone to fall into our rigid versions of reality and fall prey to many of the false dichotomies that were created, during their times of trial, by those who came before us. We fall victim to the belief that the world is made of either/or choices, not both/and possibilities. We retreat into our camps and close our ears and hearts to those who don’t reside there with us.

Fortunately, those who came before us also left us pearls of wisdom that transcend all forms of separation that we might try to create. Some of this wisdom would be considered faith-based while other would be considered science-based. During those moments when faith and science come to the same reality, I think it would be unwise to ignore that reality.

I’ll present one such example in the next part of this two-part column, where a couple of
2000 year old teachings mirror today’s psychological findings

Bob Fuselier is a retired veterinarian and is currently a chaplain here in Los Alamos. In addition to serving as a chaplain with the Los Alamos Fire and Police Departments, Dr. Fuselier facilitates grief support groups and collaborates with others providing emotional support needs in the Los Alamos area. As an author, he’s published a children’s book series and a book on emotional neuroscience.