UNDERSTANDING, with Jontie

AI is transforming the world faster than any technology in history — and most of us feel unprepared. We fear losing jobs, losing purpose, and losing control. But the truth is, AI isn’t the biggest threat to our future. Our mindset is.

We’re all feeling it — the tension, the fear, the sense that something in America is deeply off. Homelessness everywhere. Families working full-time but still hungry. Addiction in towns that once felt safe. Neighbors treating each other like enemies. These are symptoms. And symptoms always point to something deeper.

I recently encountered someone on social media blaming division among Democrats for Trump's Presidential victory. This assumed that Trump is the problem. Trump is not the problem, he's merely a symptom of a larger problem.

We suck at spotting liars, me included. However, I've learned a couple important ways we can protect ourselves from being deceived by fake friends and fake leaders. Hope this helps!

I reflect on the killing of Charlie Kirk—not to debate his politics, but to examine our reactions. Why do so many of us feel selective empathy, dismissing the pain of others? From my own conflicted response to the larger tribalism shaping our society, I explore how moments like this force us to ask: Who are we, and who do we want to become?

My family suffered under Stalin and Hitler. As horrific as these experiences were, they helped me to understand this difficult political time in the US. They may even help us to make America great again.

Have you noticed lately how everyone sees themselves as a victim? Are we really all victims? What if we actually had the power to make things better? What would that world look like? And how can we get from here to there?

We rarely discuss what makes us American. Most nations are unified by a shared race, ethnicity and sometimes even a faith. That’s not true for America. So what is it that unites us? Or are we doomed to be eternally divided? Can this only be solved by revolution? Or is there another way? While I’ll be sharing my thoughts, I hope this sparks a larger conversation.

I instantly connected to Trump’s warning about the US becoming a shithole country. Since my father immigrated to the US from Syria, I know a thing or two about shithole countries. Turns out there’s something we all can, and should, be doing to avoid this terrible fate. Hope this helps ; )

Conspiracy thinking gives us a sense of control in a confusing world. Unfortunately in our careers, this thinking robs us of the autonomy and agency we need to improve our lives.

We all have a basic need for purpose. If we aren’t aware of this, or if we’re afraid, or if we cave to others’ expectations of us, we lose our life’s purpose. The good news is we can reclaim our sense of joy and fulfillment by identifying our purpose.

Listening to Friday sermons at my local Mosque, I encountered a glitch in our human programming. Something that was preventing our religious leaders from properly guiding us. Then I realized it wasn’t just Muslims, but American society as a whole that’s fallen into this trap, this logical glitch. Fortunately, if we can address it, there’s potential to heal our increasingly contentious society.

This issue is really personal for me. Not because I'm Israeli or Palestinian, but because my family suffered like both of these groups. Unfortunately, we're caught in this cycle of violence with no end in sight. Complicating matters each side forces you to choose their side, or be labelled an evil person. Turns out we don't have to choose one side or the other. Instead we can choose the American side. As a matter of fact, the American side holds all the "cards". So the question isn't what should the Israelis or Palestinians do, the question is what are we Americans going to do?

Did you know President George Washington hated the idea of political parties? Did you know he ran for a second term to prevent early party politics from tearing the country apart? Did you know that political parties aren’t even necessary in the US? We’ve been told that we have two choices, and that voting for a 3rd party is a waste of a vote. But there are more options than a 3rd party, even better options, and they don’t rely on us waiting for our politicians to do the right thing. We have the power to change the political status quo!

Are you worried about our contentious politics? About where this leads? About the safety and security of your family? I’ve been where you are, and I’d like to share my experiences. Experiences that brought me from angry and isolated to happy and connected, due to the kindness of one person. The lesson she taught me might help us all heal our partisan divisions.

A lot of us fear civil strife or even civil war, and we feel powerless watching our nation unravel. I have to admit that I was part of the problem. I fell into the trap of feeling scared and angry towards “the other.” Fortunately, I learned how to unlock a superpower that you, and I, and all of us have access to. A tool that’ll help us to feel calm, connected, and in control. It may even help us build that better future we’ve been wanting.