On Tyranny - Lesson 12: Make Eye Contact and Small Talk *or.. Make Connections*

 Lesson 12 of 20 from the 20th Century On Tyranny is only one page long: make eye contact and small talk

Alright, so on the surface this lesson seems a bit ableist. Eye contact and small talk aren't as easy or natural for some people as they are for others. There are many communities who struggle with social norms like these.

What Snyder really means is to build community by building connections. This doesn't always require eye contact and small talk. There are (allegedly) lots of ways one can build community and interpersonal connections without those specific means. Whatever it means to you, affirm your commitment to your friends and family. Be open to making new friends and connections. I'll be honest: I'm not great at building connections. I can make eye contact and small talk just fine, but I struggle to translate that into real connections, especially new ones. 

When connections are broken, or when routines or traditions with others cease, Snyder suggests that fear tends to creep in. We have to know who we can trust. This can be a difficult thing to gauge for people who have trouble in social settings, so I think we should go out of our way to include those people. It's basically about signaling that we're safe. No, I don't think a safety pin or a blue bracelet is the key. We don't need to virtue-signal, we just need to create safe spaces via interpersonal relationships. We need to support one another. Sometimes it's as simple as friendly discussion of the weather, or a passing smile. Sometimes it's much more than that. Reach out to people you know who will be targeted by the coming administration. Let them know you care. And keep letting them know if/when things get even scarier.