Pt IV: From Liberal to Integral Politics
I stood in front of a small TV screen in my kitchen. It was early on a Friday evening in October 2016, and I was doing small chores – tidying dishes, folding some stray laundry – before weekend activities commenced. The reporting had caught my ear. “When you’re famous they just let you.” Cackling laughter, egging on the lewd confessions. One month from the presidential election, this was how one candidate regarded women: as objects at his disposal. My throat tightened, my insides burned. I felt sick with annoyance. Disgust.
At the same time, I entertained the possibility of finding relief in this revelation. The mask was off and the real guy was being shown for who he was. America would reject someone casually boasting about assault.
A stinging outcome. Not only did we not get our first woman president, but we got a serial sexual predator. “Domestic violence is the operational model of this administration,” said a presenter at an academic conference I attended that fall, forecasting the control tactics, the cycles of violence and placating, the trauma-bonding we would see in coming years. And that was just the beginning.
And we on the losing side of that election didn’t even get to nurse our wounds. Suddenly all the shortcomings of the Democratic consensus burst into view: too white, too elitist, too presumptuous for its own good. The coalition was sidelining people of color, working class folk, people without college degrees. No time for self-pity, there was a major reckoning at hand. I resented the fact that a man of innumerable sins was elected to office, and I couldn’t point fingers. I had to confront my own implicit biases.
We did our homework didn’t we? We read the books on white fragility and how to be antiracists, we were stunned by the spate of black men and women killed by law enforcement, by the Tiki torches and “both sides”-isms. We marched, we called. We turned our ear to the white working class. We read Hillbilly Elegy.
After everything that went down over the next eight years: major public health, economic, national security mismanagement, a coup attempt, two impeachments, felony convictions, multiple federal charges that appeared eminently convictable, I again felt sure that enough attrition would prevent a repeat.
But here we are again. And this time we’re seeing the great pillars of liberal democracy teeter before our eyes: independent branches of government, the civil service, longstanding precedent, historic alliances. Norms. Honor. Classical liberalism, social liberalism, neoliberalism. All the liberalisms. And the liberal-left finds itself in a very weird position. On one hand, the tent is vast, from the left to the center and even into the conservative right as never-Trumpers disaffiliate and seek shelter elsewhere. The political left finds itself defending arms of state historically critiqued: law enforcement, FBI, CIA, military. Globalization and free trade. Even with a vastly expanded and up until recently unthinkable coalition (Bernie Sanders and George Will? AOC and Liz Cheney?) under existential assault, the resistance is slow to ignite and fumbles to find a path forward.
How to explain?
We need a larger framework to make sense of why the unthinkable continues to happen…and to snowball exponentially.
We’re experiencing a crisis of liberalism.
I know this isn’t news. But it feels fresh because it’s no longer academic for us here in America.
We’ve seen signs of breakdown since the Nixon era: people don’t trust institutions; culture wars and identity politics divide us; experts are suspect. People don’t feel represented, feel the government is ineffective, feel their vote doesn’t matter.
Critical weaknesses have hampered our democracy since the beginning: The capitalist mandate for growth – prioritizing profit over land and labor – is unsustainable. Money’s lock on government divides the loyalties of lawmakers. And our original sins: colonialism and racism patterned nationalistic white supremacy into our governing foundations. Alexis DeToqueville had eyes on such things in the Republic’s early days.
Liberalism as a governing project is failing.
And now capitalist overreach, government deadlock, foundational racism are all catching up to us, calling the question on broad prosperity, self-governance by rule of law, and liberty and justice for all. As a project, liberalism is not only losing the faith of the people but its major tenets are under direct assault:
Executive fiat rivals rule of law.
Individual rights of privacy, speech and religion are under assault.
Vote suppression and warrantless questioning of elections undermine our electoral system.
Tariffs without mandate undermine free trade and international goodwill
Outlawing of DEI infringes on civil rights to speech and protection against discrimination
Demonization of science, crippling of the CDC and NIH, “alternative facts,” destruction of the civil service, the withering of civil debate and bipartisan compromise all undercut the deliberative rationalism and public faith on which our system was founded.
The political contest in the US has shifted from conservative vs. liberal to liberal vs. illiberal.
With each passing day, it’s clearer: the U.S. is descending into an authoritarian governing scheme serving the capitalist ruling class. Historical patterns clearly show that crises of liberal hegemony create openings for illiberal strongmen who co-opt working class grievances with false populist rhetoric. These autocrats might incorporate superficial reform but ultimately the governing project serves the interest of the moneyed class. This is where we are. Elon, tech bro billionaires and corporate interests succored by the current administration: this is what we all need to be have our eye on.
Both immediate triage and long-term alternatives are needed.
In the immediate term, cuts to services and funding threaten lives and livelihoods, and resistance is necessary. We all know the drill: getting clear on what they’re doing and why; vocalize the contradictions between promises and actual impact of policies; don’t get distracted; keep doing democracy.
But we also have to think bigger…
I think it’s worthwhile to contemplate the enormity of the election of a candidate who ran on a platform of hate: not a governing agenda but hostile opposition fueled by perceived threat and resentment. To vote for this is the height of cynicism. Que triste. How did we get here?
It might not be the time to point fingers at any one group in particular. Rather, it might simply be the reigning Western paradigm playing itself into exhaustion. The operative paradigm of the West for the past few hundred years has been the Enlightenment paradigm, a system of knowledge that seeks mastery through rational analysis and measurable, empirical understanding. What is known can be controlled; what cannot be known is othered. Domination is the goal.
While this knowledge structure has given us great things like scientific materialism, capitalism, and liberal democracy, its orientation to reality produces fragmentation: a dualistic worldview leading to competition, alienation, polarization and isolation. We see ourselves as separate individuals living on a horizontal timeline, competing for position, the rewards of success, seeking meaning and purpose and often feeling isolated, alienated, disconnected and adrift. Don’t we all feel the exhaustion? In the disconnection we feel from our natural surroundings, in the distrust of fellow human beings, in ecological devastation, in isolation, dissatisfaction, in our fatigue and moments of despair about what comes next.
Hate thrives in disconnection and disillusionment. So, is it all that surprising that we’ve become so susceptible to a political movement that finds so much opportunity to capitalize upon? We are manipulated to act out of fear and anger before we gather our thoughts or look more deeply into the facts. We blame others for things before we examine our own responsibility. We find it hard to muster human feeling for those of differing party, race, religion, or nationality. We succor our unconscious biases, leaning into misinformation, fear, or conspiracies to justify our suspicion and contempt.
Liberal democracy assumes rational, self-aware citizens, but is this how we’re acting? Or are we blindly swayed by emotion, biased news, our own unconscious biases getting affirmed or offended? Are we rational or emotionally reactive? Responsible stewards of our inner state or sleep walking addicts of power and influence – personal, political? E pluribus unum or tribalistic and divided?
We’re getting played and not banding together to find deeper meaning, better solutions, communal solidarity, collaborative heft and mutual care that we truly need to meet this moment.
I suspect our own unconsciousness of our states has enabled our political inertia and dysfunction. Politics is downstream from human consciousness. A society of unconscious, fragmented individuals will produce dysfunctional, failing systems. We need a higher level of awareness and responsibility or our systems will continue on this path of deterioration. We must transform ourselves to transform our world.
It’s time for another reckoning. We need to stop reacting and start forging a new paradigm.
Integral Politics
It’s time for a different approach. We need to move away from a politics that centers on choosing a side and start engaging frameworks that help us transcend polarization and foster deep, systemic transformation. We need to shift from reactionary, resistance-based activism to one that helps us center on our vision for a healthy future. We can do this by engaging in activism that is:
Non-polarized: Moving beyond left vs. right to holistic, multiperspectival solutions.
Systems-aware: Centering on root causes, not just symptoms.
Evolutionary: Seeking long-term, deep change over short-term wins.
Embodied: Integrating activism with personal and collective healing.
Non-polarized Politics
It’s time to move past entrenched polarization. It’s not productive. One way to begin to reconnect with our compatriots is to press pause on our knee-jerk responses to opposing ideologies. Instead of writing them off immediately, can we intentionally take a more objective view and first ask: what partial truth is there in this stance? Can we soften our black and white views? Instead of slotting things wholesale into “good” vs. “bad” categories, can we ask: where does this position serve and where does it fail? Or ask, where or how can two sides actually complement each other?
Practices
Recognize partial truths: Instead of reacting to an opposing viewpoint, ask: What valid insight does this perspective hold? Where does it become rigid or blind to complexity? What would a more evolved version of this look like? (Caveat: this approach must be predicated on facts and sincerity. It cannot hold if the opposition is predicated on deception.)
Empathize: Have conversations with people across political lines. Practice listening deeply and attentively, without judgment. Instead of critiquing, try to understand from the inside out. Seek mutual understanding instead of winning debates.
Service: Engaging in acts of selfless service can help shift the focus from the egoic self to the recognition of mutuality. Perform acts of kindness and service without expecting anything in return. In these moments, the sense of separation between "I" and "other" diminishes, and we begin to experience underlying unity.
Systems-Aware Perspective
Another way to stop the impulse to demonize and write off opponents is to enlarge the frame: to see a more complex picture in which problems have multiple contributing factors and which can be addressed systemically or on multiple levels. For example, instead of attacking a single issue from one standpoint, we can ask: What deeper systems create and sustain this problem? Are there multiple contributing factors such as economic, media, psychology, and culture? What are the various levers that can start to resolve the issue?
Practices
Map the system behind the problem: Instead of seeing issues as isolated, look at how economics, culture, history, psychology, and consciousness interact and address change or activism accordingly. Ask: What larger economic, technological, or environmental forces are at play?
Examine and take action at multiple levels, such as:
Personal: How do I experience this issue internally? Do I have psychological biases and/or trauma influencing my perspective? Can I work on unconscious biases, shadow integration, and growth?
Interpersonal: How do interpersonal dynamics affect this issue? Can I engage in transformative conversation, practice active listening, or exercise empathy in an interaction?
Cultural: What cultural beliefs and narratives (including media narratives) shape this issue? Can I create or share content – art, media, story – that helps shift the cultural narrative?
Systemic: What external structures (laws, policies, systems) sustain it? Can I advocate for policy change or support alternative structures (e.g., regenerative economies, community projects)?
Evolutionary Framework
We are trapped in reactive cycles that not only prevent us from taking the longer arc of time and history into consideration but that keep us stuck in the current paradigm. What if we adjusted our perspective on time? What if we expanded our scope, taking into consideration transformation over generations instead of seeking immediate wins? What if we took different modes of time into consideration in the name of loosening up our entrenched perspective of time as linear cause-and-effect?
Practices
Contemplate the arc of history: Reflect on how governance, culture, and consciousness have evolved over centuries. Ask: What do we want and need generations from now, and what role does this moment play in the larger arc of history?
Develop awareness of other timescales and feel into the “weather” of the present time: Ask what time is it: Is this a seed-planting time? A descent time? A threshold crossing? A return? How does this shift perspective, understanding, and possible actions?
Embodied Democracy
Instead of only fighting external injustice, what if we also sought to embody wholeness and presence? What if we reflected on our personal shadows, investigating our motives and asking whether our shadow sides prevent us from taking into consideration a more complex understanding of the political situation? What if we looked at our political problems as arising from intergenerational and collective trauma? How would that affect our approach?
Practices
Embody change before demanding it from others: Reflect on how our emotions, biases, and reactivity shape our political viewpoint. Ask: How can my activism be an extension of wholeness, not reactivity?
Identify shadow: Observe your inner biases, projections, and attachments—ask where is my shadow at play? Notice when activism is coming from a sense of ego, righteousness, or trauma response.
Practice emotional alchemy: Notice when an unpleasant emotion arises and to the somatic processing to regain equilibrium.
Participate in political activism that integrates somatic, trauma-informed healing of historical wounds such as: racial healing, indigenous reconciliation, collective grief work
Self reflection: Regularly reflect on our thoughts, actions, and growth process and how they inform our daily lives, relationships, and worldviews. This helps us track our development and make adjustments as we progress.
Integrate self-renewal practices:
Do the work without clinging to outcomes. Remember that change unfolds over time.
Step back when needed; activism should be life-giving, not draining.
Balance passion for change with emotional and spiritual self-awareness.
Instead of fueling political engagement with anger or righteousness, integrate meditation, shadow work, and deep dialogue to cultivate wholeness.
Signs of emergent integral politics
If we pay attention, we can already see signs of this new paradigm emerging.
Perhaps spiritual renewal movements most clearly show the path toward non-polarized consciousness. Movements that draw on perennial wisdom streams and interspirituality are uncovering ancient wisdom and practices that illumine the ways to soften the dualistic mindset: meditation, breathwork, mindfulness. We see this rising in the culture via the increased popularity of interfaith dialogue, the belief that multiple spiritual pathways lead to truth, the increasingly popular embrace of meditation and mindfulness, and the growth of online spiritual communities that offer teaching in spiritual awakening and awareness.
We can see the shift from mental to embodied awareness in holistic health practices, attention to mind-body interconnection, to awareness of how trauma shapes consciousness on individual and collective levels, and the rise of social-emotional learning in schools. Integrative health practices like yoga, mindfulness, acupuncture and energy healing all point to the emergence of this integral paradigm.
On more meta levels, we see the shift from unipolar or compartmentalized knowledge toward systems thinking in deep ecology, economics, political science, healthcare, interspiritual movements, and in the general recognition of the need for holistic solutions.
Other shifts in our collective life presaging the future include:
Eco-consciousness and sustainability movements
Conscious capitalism and regenerative economics
Awareness of the attention economy and the need for ethics in AI and digital technology
Collaboration on global problems like climate change, pandemics, and economic inequality
Intersectional social justice movements for systemic justice, equity, inclusivity and human dignity
Decentralization as seen in independent media (substack, podcasting), crowdsourcing, mutual aid societies, spiritual movements outside of institutional religion, alternative education models, the sharing economy, and open-source and block-chain technologies.
But we also have to keep in mind is that this kind of transformation will not come down (or up) through the hierarchy, will not be imposed via policy, won’t even come about via argument or persuasion. Rather, it comes through present, self-aware people who demonstrate different possibilities and ways of being in daily life, work and relationships. It won’t come through sudden uprising but a slow conscious effort by awakened individuals exploring new ways of being: a revolution not of force but awareness. In fact, power collapses when people awaken, and love emerges when we no longer need control: instead it’s about care.
What am I going to do?
We need to save our democracy. But despite the setbacks and destruction we are witnessing we can already see the arrival of the new: conscious, collaborative, holistic, regenerative. A politics that builds on the strengths of the past, outfitted for present and future needs.
Admittedly, we are all at the beginning of this learning journey. Our consciousness around it is not fully formed, and we don’t know the future. But we are acutely aware of its existential stakes in the present, and I’m here for it. Survival – of the biosphere, democratic governance, and neighbors vulnerable to war, disease, catastrophe and displacement – are all at risk. This requires immediate response.
So, I will continue to participate as an active citizen in our political life. I will stay abreast of the news, call my representatives and senators, participate in movements applying pressure on electeds. Because of what we are witnessing with increased clarity – that this is a movement to narrow democratically distributed power and to funnel public money to wealthier classes – I will focus my attention on economic resistance, pressuring my representatives to protect the democratic system and minimize harm.
This time, however, I will go about it differently, with attempts to engage more mindfully. Not out of outrage or conditioned patterns, but with awareness and intentionality. I’ll ask things like:
What happens when I ask “what time” it is? How does this reframe my perspective?
Can I take into consideration other viewpoints and values to appreciate complexities in forming my own viewpoint? To remedy fracture with a more holistic approach?
Can I work from desired inner transformation to affect/effect outer transformation?
The truth is that we need transformation on the levels of individual consciousness and societal structures at the same time, so how can we do them together? How do we leverage personal growth in collective action?
My starting place will be: taking some time for silence. It feels appropriate to work on loosening my over-identification with personal biases and cultural conditioning. Here are some things that I’m working toward:
Reducing mental clutter by fasting from ideological input (news, opinions).
Making time for silence and observe how the mind constructs reality when left undistracted.
Noticing when my mind creates dualistic judgments (e.g., good/bad, right/wrong) and letting them go.
Reading books that present different experiences than mine. Empathize and reflect on the consequences of empathy in how I live.
I’m looking forward to discovering new insights and to reflecting on it here.