Row your vote gently down the stream

M: With too much information we can stream, we can be overwhelmed with the choices we have to make. Sometimes, it can confuse even the best of us. You’ve been voting for a long time, DJ. Any tips to share to newbie voters who will cast their votes tomorrow? DJ: I recognize the avalanche of information one is getting these days compared to what was available in the past. The solution, though, remains the same: critical thinking. Properly chewing all the information to form one’s opinion is key. Critical thinking helps not only during this election season but also in one’s career or personal life. M: I try not to be influenced by the politicians’ personalities but by their platforms or programs of governance. Unfortunately, even those are tricky because it seems they can say the things we want to hear and promise to do everything we want them to do while they’re trying to convince us to vote for them. But when they’ve gotten our votes, the promises remain just that—a promise. If Toni Braxton sang “Unbreak my Heart,” this time we should convince ourselves to unbreak our principles and vote according to conscience. Unfortunately, again, where have all the conscience gone? This reminds me of the song “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?” DJ: Who is Toni Braxton, Mic? And why is she in this conversation? Anyhow, limiting the amount of news and media we take in also helps. This applies even to political materials. I only pick the sources I read in the morning. And I rarely open articles shared on social media unless they come from these sources. It’s like a buffet table. Being sufficiently nourished and satisfied doesn’t mean eating everything that’s there. Doing so even potentially leads to indigestion. The same principle applies with information. Being choosy is cool. First, it saves me from the hordes of toxic views and fake news. Second, it allows me to chew just enough information I can effectively process. And third, by trying to unclutter my life from every goings-on enables me to form my own opinion without being heavily influenced by others.

M: We who are older and more jaded still want to believe that change can still come. But we have to start with changing ourselves, our mindset, thinking not just short-term but longterm with the generations after us in mind. Instead of fighting over what is the best street food that represents us or trying to avoid spoilers for “Avengers: Endgame” or “Game of Thrones,” or fighting a keyboard war with trolls on the internet, why don’t we stop and take it slow. Let’s discern well what is happening around us and not react right away. Refrain from making quick judgments. Avoid being negative. When we’ve considered all these things, we can just chill and not allow the noise of the world to drown us out. And then, our minds are clearer and more discerning to make the right choices.

DJ: In the end, the tree is known by its fruit. A good tree brings forth a good fruit. And a corrupt fruit mostly comes from a corrupted tree. That’s why I stay clear from whatever sows hatred, hostility and division. That’s how I ultimately screen my sources. And that’s how I safeguard my peace of mind.