Bubbles

Bubbles within bubbles, its bubbles all the way down.

What is a Bubble?

Typically referred to as a social media bubble, I believe our social circles are also effectively bubbles. The friends we hang out with, our families, our school or work colleagues, religious groups, hobby clubs, your local community, as well as those we watch or read online as in our social media and more. All of these are unconsciously (usually) self-reinforcing groups that are often somewhat uniform in beliefs or at the very least do not have much in opposition or differing opinions.

Benefits to Staying in a Bubble

How Else Will It Change?

This thought arose from my belief that you should not leave bubbles willy-nilly, when they are not in alignment with you. This causes those bubbles to further distil into even more intensely infused echo chambers with no one left to challenge them in their beliefs.

Safety First

Obviously your own safety comes first. If you are not safe in that bubble, you should leave it.
If the airplane is having a low oxygen event, who's breathing mask do you put on first? (hint: its your own!)

Not Us vs. Them

It is not even about reducing barriers between Us and Them.

It is instead realising it is all Us. We are all Human, we are all in this together.

I was recently at a presentation for a local transition housing group that is attempting to establish itself on main street in our town. In the presentation a speaker from a very successful and historic homeless shelter from a nearby city came and shared the above thoughts.

He explained that it can be hard seeing the person doing drugs on the front doorstep of the homeless shelter as a person, or the person taking a dump on the sidewalk as someone like us, but that those people are very similar to us, largely just lacking in supports and basic needs (such as housing).

A big reason I am supporting the transitional housing on the main street of my town is the fact that it is there in everyone's sight, subtly expanding people's Bubbles, and perhaps it will encourage us to Just Try to even say hi to the other humans trying to live their lives, or maybe even Make the World a Better Place.

"We shame that guy for taking a dump on the side of the building, but we all are allowed to do that sort of thing in the privacy of our homes. It is a problem if people are struggling with an addiction in front of a business, but its not that big a deal if people are dealing with addictions at home."

Paul Loewen, paraphrased, not exact quote (Sorry!).

Benefits to Leaving a Bubble

Recently I have found that it may be more beneficial to leave my church and either join another, or find some other community that I can contribute to. This has been something which I have had to wrestle with, as I believe that staying within my church's bubble helps to keep it from becoming a single flavour, and reminds those there that Christians (and really anyone with a large shared belief) can and should have some different sub-beliefs and disagreements.
This should in fact be normal, as it is healthy to have others challenging you, otherwise how would you grow or realise that perhaps your methods could be improved?

I have found through discussion with friends, new acquaintances, various readings, that if I leave the bubble of my church, I am still a part of my town's bubble which I can change.

It is alright to move elsewhere to where you are not dampened, go somewhere that you can shine.