Wondering how we got here? Try looking inward.

How did we get here? When did it become ok?

When did it become ok, for the sitting president of the most powerful nation in the world, to reserve the wee hours of the morning to lash out over Twitter to anyone he disagrees with?

When did it become ok for one of the most well respected television news networks in the world to constantly prioritize presidential ‘scandal’ over death, suffering, and destruction?

When did it become ok, for we as a human race, to prioritize the economy over the possible future extinction of the human race?

When did it become ok for us to label almost half of our population who voted for ‘the other guy’, as ‘stupid hicks’ or ‘gun toting morons’?

If you’re like me, you probably hate the use of the words ‘left’ and ‘right’ — or ‘snowflakes’ and ‘right wing nutbags’. First of all, it’s not getting us anywhere; we’re already divisive as a nation. And second of all, it does nothing to answer the key question of ‘how did we get here?’.

Through history, the person we elect to lead the free world is meant to mirror the beliefs and habits of our nation. And guess what? We did just that.

We no longer live in a world of civil discourse. We live in a world of Facebook Comments and slick Twitter Comebacks. Winning arguments are no longer defined by who reasons more effectively, but by who can make a witty 280 character Tweet.

We no longer live in a world of occasional selflessness. We live in world in which Likes and Followers determine what our future actions will be. Appearing selfless has become more important than actually being selfless. Narcissism has taken a foothold in our society, affecting the future (youth) of our country the most.

Do any of the actions of our Commander-in-Chief remind you of the above?

Why are we surprised?

For better or worse, our President very accurately reflects where we are as a society and a people. The majority, at least. Fortunately for all of us, we’re a nation that’s known for overcoming adversity. But first, we need to understand exactly who our adversaries are.

Hint: it’s not Trump. He’s just a symptom of our current illness.