The Buddhist precept of Right Speech has the potential to transform tense political discussions and policy debates.
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If you spend any time on social media, one consistent theme emerges: Healthcare isn’t a right or a responsibility. It’s a problem that’s complained about in language that veers from the plaintive to the profane.
I understand why author Umberto Eco remarked, “Social media gives the right to speak to legions of imbeciles who previously only spoke at the bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community. They were immediately silenced, while now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner.”
As a healthcare advocate, I’m focused on identifying solutions to many of our nation’s biggest healthcare challenges. But I’m also a self-described “Zen lobbyist” who believes in the power of a mindful approach to transforming healthcare. Whether on the social media platforms fueling so much of our discourse, or in the DC offices of policymakers, I’m increasingly aware of the impact of using Right Speech for political discussions.
Right Speech (also known as Virtuous Speech or Wise Speech) is one of Buddhism’s Five Precepts for ethical conduct. These precepts are gifts—gifts to ourselves and to others—which are designed to create a path to freedom from fear, hostility, and oppression and guide us on toward true happiness.
The Buddha spoke of Right Speech in terms of what it does not include: “abstinence from false speech, abstinence from malicious speech, abstinence from harsh speech, and abstinence from idle chatter.” That’s a rubric that seems very disconnected from much of our contemporary political conversations and policy debates. But I believe that it’s the perfect tool to transform those discussions.
So, what precisely constitutes right speech? I find the definition provided in the collection of Buddhist writings known as the Aṅguttara Nikāya helpful: “It is spoken at the right time. It is spoken in truth. It is spoken affectionately. It is spoken beneficially. It is spoken with a mind of good will.”
One of the most important principles I follow is approaching every person as a divine being, recognizing what is sacred in the unique individual I’m with. This is much more than a spiritual orientation. It’s a practical approach to advocacy. People aren’t defined by their votes or their political affiliations or any other label. I sincerely believe that each person holds that spark of the divine inside them. As I result, I want to meet them with an open heart and my own divine spark.
This requires a mindfulness throughout every conversation, but especially in political discourse. I need to be fully present, aware of my intentions and emotions and identifying the impact of the words I’m speaking throughout our discussion. Before I begin speaking, I pause to reflect on the “why” of the words I’m choosing. Am I speaking out of fear or ill will or out of a misplaced drive to somehow “win” the conversation? Are my words useful? Are they kind?
Right Speech doesn’t always demand words. Sometimes Right Speech requires no words at all, and there’s power in that silence and stillness and the space it creates for emotions to cool and wisdom to surface.
In policy advocacy, relationships matter, and this is where I most clearly see the impact of Right Speech. Many of my conversations with policymakers on the right and left of the political spectrum end with them saying, “I may not agree with you on every issue, but I know that you care deeply about this and about me.”
Transforming healthcare may begin with something as simple as transforming our speech.
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