Before the ballot

Recently I was able to attend an event where two great authors, Simon Sinek and Jon Meacham, spoke.The experience prompted me to reflect on a responsibility we carry into an election: not simply to vote, but to prepare ourselves to vote wisely.After the keynote address, Meacham noticed my Tennessee flag belt, it sparked a connection between fellow Tennesseans. Shaking his hand, I thanked him for sharing his wisdom, particularly his reflection on fear.Meacham has described fear as “the anxiety for the loss of something you love,” a formulation he has associated with Aristotle. Will we examine our fears or let others use them to direct our choices?Voting is a right. Preparing to exercise it responsibly is our civic duty. Epictetus taught that we should examine our impressions before accepting them as truth. Between encountering a claim and endorsing it lies an opportunity to pause, question and reason.An advertisement is not an investigation.

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