Activist Parker Palmer The Politics Of The Brokenhearted Analysis

In activist Parker Palmer’s essay “The Politics of the Brokenhearted”, he speaks about how today in America we are very divided. We often separate into groups of “us” and “them” and in doing to make mortal enemies of “them”. Palmer seems to have written this text with the intention of trying to get people to unify and understand other people's ideas. If we can unite with our “enemies” and start to see their point of view, we will be able to finally see in the darkness and find the truth. Parker seems to see the dark as a displacement. When you feel disconnected from everyone else and don’t share their ideas it makes you feel isolated from the rest of the world. He experienced this and felt as though he “...had lost the secret decoder ring

This seems to be what Palmer speaks about for the rest of the essay, and this is clearly shown through his main quote; “In a dark time, the eye begins to see” (Roethke). He uses the words of the great poet Theodore Roethke frequently throughout the essay, almost as though to reassure its readers that out of our dark and hatefully time now will come a new era filled with understanding and peace. He says himself that “... the best therapy for personal problems comes from reaching out as well as looking in” (Palmer 4). With this we are reminded to learn our own opinions about our problems, and at the same time express them to others so that we collectively as a people can learn from our mistakes. For example, he tells stories of how pro-life and pro-choice supporters were able to hold a more respectful difference when they shared the stories that compelled them to choose their side of the issue. “When two people discover that parallel experiences led them to contrary conclusions, they are more likely to hold their differences respectfully” (Palmer 5). This sounds to be an easy task, but in our world sadly it isn’t. If we all begin to listen to other people's opinions instead of screaming ours, perhaps we can reach a mutual understanding. We have been shown the problem and presented its answer: “...I need to listen with openness and respect, especially to “the other”, as much as I need to speak my own voice with clarity and conviction” (Palmer 43). This is why in today’s world we need to start closing our mouths and opening our