Friday, January 30, 2026
The other morning, in my habit of reviewing this nation’s headlines, I felt drawn to look beyond American-focused news. I began exploring the politics of a wider world—not chasing headlines, but searching for common ground beneath obvious differences. I wanted to understand how nations connect.
It didn’t take long to realize how limited my usual perspective is. That surprised me. I consider myself reasonably informed. Yet I mostly read American—and occasionally British—reporting. Stepping outside that frame was clarifying. And unsettling.
Several thoughts arrived quickly. First, what we call liberalism began to feel more local than global. Second, the technologies we’re learning to live with—communication systems, weapons, and influence itself—are advancing far faster than human moral development. And third, an uncomfortable question surfaced: how does more information become more wisdom?
Around the same time, a longtime friend emailed me about something she’d done recently. She and a group of like-minded people had stood on a busy corner, holding signs protesting two recent, unjustified killings in Minneapolis by ICE representatives. She felt good about participating in the group. Passing drivers responded—some with honks and gestures of support, others with opposing signals.
She was describing real action—sincere, hopeful, and embodied: information paired with conviction. That energy brought people out of warm homes and into freezing cold, to stand visibly in a public space. Their intent was clear. Their message landed. It informed, captured attention, and felt meaningful.
That was action. Various generations are relearning the value of immediacy—gathering, using creative signage, and collective voices to inform and encourage.
But wisdom feels like a different animal.
Wisdom seems to grow more slowly. It comes from questioning rather than signaling; from context rather than reaction. It asks us to consider the present alongside history, to tolerate complexity, and to be patient with uncertainty—long enough to evaluate what we’re seeing.
I’m for both—action and wisdom.
I value immediate, creative actions that inform quickly and speak to deeply held beliefs. I also value the slower work of seeking wisdom—going beyond volume and urgency to deepen understanding. So I’ll keep looking for information that enlarges perspective rather than simply adding noise.
My path forward means paying closer attention to places I’ve barely followed: Venezuela, where events continue to unfold; parts of Africa, whose political and economic transitions have long been fascinating—especially now, as gold mines close and international gold prices surge.
I don’t know exactly where my curiosity might lead. But I feel convinced that understanding the politics and social conditions of the wider world deserves my closer attention—and that emerging wisdom will help illuminate, for me, more of American leadership’s content, choices, and possible consequences of its decisions.
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— Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 