Being a guy, you know, I assumed for a long time that I was supposed to be able to fix things. For years, this led to lots of disappointment, especially early in our marriage, before my wife figured out that my skill set was limited to – well, punctuation, I guess. It took me longer than most folks to understand that it’s OK to not even try to be the fix-it guy – and that sometimes folks just want you to listen and care, not to tell them what to do. People are less eager to be confronted with an agenda than to be comforted with understanding, I finally learned.
I’m talking about all this now because a lot of us are numbed by what’s going on in Washington – by the destruction caused by these first weeks of the second Trump administration – and so we’re looking for a fix-it expert, somebody who will make things all right.
It’s understandable. Tumult, antagonism, carelessness, viciousness — all that and a lot more are now the reality of the government of the land to which we pledge allegiance. Those of us who care greatly about the essential role of government laid out in our Constitution — that is, to bring us justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for our defense, promote our shared welfare, and secure our liberty — we have so far found absolutely nothing to cheer in the presidency of Donald Trump.
There is no fix-it guy who can solve this. But I’m a journalist, so I’ve done some reporting about what we might do. And I came across a social psychologist named Barbara Frederickson, who has for 30 years been a leading scholar in the study of human emotions. She has put forward what’s known as the “broaden-and-build theory.” It suggests that positive emotions lead to more engagement and to expansive behavior, and that over time that sort of engagement lays the foundation for more knowledge and better social relationships. There’s a physical benefit to positive emotions, too: They can also undo some of the harm that comes from negative emotions, including heart damage and the impact of higher blood sugar.
Research that brought us the “broaden-and-build theory,” found that we gain ground by situating ourselves where we find joy and happiness – because that’s where we develop the capacity to grow. Frederickson says that positive emotions change the boundaries of our minds. People come up with more ideas of what they might do next, the research concluded, when they're experiencing a positive emotion.
Fine, you say, but I’m not feeling so positive right now. Of course not: A couple of unstable billionaires are tearing apart our government, upending global security, putting TV talking heads in charge of vast agencies. And that’s why we need to give ourselves doses of joy whenever and however we can – not just because it makes us feel better in the moment, but because it is only from that strong foundation that we can shape a valid response to Trumpism.
I’m no therapist, but I was a good reporter once, and what the broaden-and-build theory suggests is that we won’t know what to do about Trumpism if we’re sitting at home fretting; our imagination will atrophy. We need the creativity and energy and broadened skill set that flows from those moments of joy.
That’s how we become the fix-it people ourselves. With the disillusionment and discomfort that Trump is causing depleting our capacity, and with no comfort available from the traditional notion that America’s government is good, we need to find sources that can give us positive emotions.
It may be that something familiar can provide that comfort — a sport or pastime, a hobby, music from our youth, a favorite TV show. Lately I’ve found myself watching old episodes of The West Wing, remembering how secure we felt during the Bartlet administration.
Perhaps our joy can come from spending time with loved ones or a dog, hiking in the winter woods, or volunteering in a community role. Whatever: In the context of the broaden-and-build theory, we can’t let our distress at Trump’s chaos and cruelty lead us to cheat ourselves out of the benefits of happiness.
There is no comfort to be found in Donald Trump’s Washington these days. So it is essential that we who can still imagine a better day be good to ourselves, and find moments of joy, so that we will be able to imagine a future in which we reclaim America’s promise. Only then will we be able to summon both the will and the skill to eventually accomplish the task of rebuilding. For that, we have to become the fix-it experts that we’re looking for – and it begins with caring for ourselves first.
Rex Smith, the co-host of The Media Project on WAMC, is the former editor of the Times Union of Albany and The Record in Troy. His weekly digital report, The Upstate American, is published by Substack.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.