No matter what perspective you have on this election, it is undeniable that it was a doozy. A whale of a whale, if you whale. I think, as a country, we can really look at this election and really squeeze out some vital information from these hard times. Luckily, we live in a time where we are simply engorged with knowledge from various different media outlets and online sources. So take a deep breath, swallow your pride, and let's see what we can learn from this election.
1. Never Underestimate the Underdog
Look, nobody expected Trump to win this election. You would be hard-pressed to find a poll that wasn't just spewing info about Hillary's inevitable win. In everyone's mind, it would have been a long shot to conceive of a Republican victory. But the Trump machine really just kept going strong and became way, way too hard for Hillary's team to defeat in the end. Everyone wrote off Trump as just a joke, not knowing all of the real support he had in the south and other various parts of the United States. I feel as if a lot of people didn't see it coming because they wrote Trump off, thinking he could never pull the victory out. So never forget to take everything into account and don't let your line of sight stay rigid.
2. Not Everyone Will Agree With You, and That's Okay.
Something that I've noticed, especially on college campuses, is a mindset that doesn't allow for any sort of deviation from their norm. Colleges are not preparing anyone for the hard and often slippery slope that is dealing with people who don't agree with you. A hug-box and echo-chamber culture has emerged on campuses that don't allow for any form of exchange of ideas- a complete lack of fluidity and willingness to listen. But, shocker, the world isn't a college campus. You and your friends can't just decide to take your balls and go home anytime anyone wants to play differently. We have to learn how to take criticism and different ideas constructively and really take the initiative and head a new, more positive world that more reflects the whole.
3. Life is hard-- be harder.
It sounds like an NWA lyric, but it's true. The world is not going to be kind to you. It's going to throw you around and violate your sensibilities every single chance it can get. But you can't let it get to you- don't let it get inside and sow its seeds of sadness and despair. You are going to be faced with opposition every step of the way, but that's how you know you're going to right way. Life is going to squeeze you and ride you like a pony, but you can't let it become your master. Buck back, buck hard, and never stop bucking. Be who you are unabashedly, don't put a wrap on it. Through struggle, we are made stronger in every sense of the word. Work those long hours at those hard jobs, get dirty, get soaked- dig in and persevere. The world is yours.
