a) recognize you are in a state of shock, and step outside it, and examine it.
How does it feel to be *shocked*?
One way of describing the feeling is: falling, rapidly, down to lower and lower emotional levels.
Someday later you can (& ought to) come up to speed on Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein --->> but for now, today, just realize that it is amazingly empowering for you to understand the keys to preparing yourself against shock — or, on a day like today, recognizing you are already shocked, and learning what to do about it.
Shock works by throwing human emotions to the lowest level of the emotional scale: resignation.
Resignation is an emotional state of powerlessness.
Zero action comes from powerlessness.
So that is where the Shocksters want you to be: resigned, powerless, in a state of shock.
Now, let’s stop falling. Let’s see that we are wrestling with angst. A feeling of “no-way-out” — all paths are no-go. So we end up resigned — checking out. Maybe hitting the bottle, or using whatever escape mechanism we’ve got.
But: now the magic of this handy-dandy Emo First Aid Kit can begin to work… let’s go on to step B….
b) shift from shock/angst/resignation, to sadness, which is 1 step up the emotional scale. Sadness still is inactive, but allows you to take back control of your perspective. Mentally step back, acknowledge and let go of your sadness about how screwed up the world is, that "sadly, this kind of shit happens in the world, but what can I do about it?", and move on.
c) shift from sadness to fear, which is 2 steps up the emotional scale. Fear begins to motivate action. But fear leads more to "flight" than to "fight" -- so there is still further to go in order to truly "bounce back".
d) shift from fear to anger, which is 3 steps up the emotional scale. Anger not only motivates action, but it empowers the "fight" reflex over the "flight" reflex.
e) shift from anger to Being Present, which is finally out of the negative side of the emotional scale. Being Present brings back awareness, perspective, and rationality. Being Present allows you to get back in touch with your core choices in life, such as commitment and courage. In the face of whatever unspeakable thing just happened, integrity and boldness open up as exciting possibilities.
((simulate and practice, and get good at doing these "bounce-back steps" in faster and faster times. Learn to bounce back from shock in hours instead of days, and then minutes instead of hours, and then seconds instead of minutes. After inoculating yourself, you become emotionally immune to Shock Doctrine tactics.))
f) Now you connect with others without bringing them down, and you can more effectively help bring them up. Separate facts from interpretation and emotion. Think, plan, and move into action.
g) shift from neutral into positive emotions, such as enthusiasm and gusto. Get back to your activism, with renewed vigor.
This stage is well known as "when the going gets tough, the tough get going."
(or, as snarkish alternative, "when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!")
h) use the absurdity as fuel. start laughing, and making fun of the Shocksters. Get your conversations revved up to turn the tables and disempower the Shocksters. Don't cooperate, don't give them your power -- take your power back. Work together with others to accomplish your mutual goals, and playfully thwart the intentions of the Shocksters.
Realize that if we don't cooperate, the Shocksters can't have what they want.
Realize that the rest of the world does indeed have some influence -- and the rest of the world is fed up with TrumpCo, and really is with us in wanting a US regime change.
Realize the Shocksters need us to be shocked. When we instantaneously bounce back from shock, they have a big problem.
Realize that there are a lot more of us than there are of them.
Consider this outrageous thought: You are powerful and dangerous, and they are afraid of little old you.
Most of all, be at peace in your integrity.
Translating all the above into dKos-speak:
If it spreads worry and it dis-empowers, it's "concern trolling".
If it warns, empowers, inoculates, and leads to preparedness and action, it's a contribution to the community.
And that, my fellow geekiwonks, is the underlying theory of why we eat concern trolls for lunch here at dKos.
2008 original version: Inoculation against "Shock Doctrine" tactics: how-to bounce back faster and faster
2020 yesterday version (that was launched at the worst possible moment — Election Day morning, when a ton of enthusiastic diaries were all coming out): Anxious? Stressed? Down? Sad? Afraid? Please read these secrets for rapid re-empowerment!
2020 major update: our brilliant rising star, AOC, together with the #GreenNewDeal grassroots Sunrise Movement — have an awesome video out: #TurnFearIntoFuel — brand new this week — and it’s complementary-to & fully-aligned-with what you’ve already read above in this diary.
Now you have a first aid kit in your hands. Please pass along the URL of this diary, outside of Daily Kos, to our sisters & brothers fighting the good fight, but who may be feeling anxious, stressed, down, sad, or afraid — so they can get back up, and back into action faster and faster, and be more and more empowered allies as we cocreate our future.