We are living through a time of escalating crisis: a growing right-wing movement edging toward fascism, rising economic inequality, and expanding wars with no just resolution in sight—from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Israel’s devastating war on Gaza. How did we arrive at this point? The answer may lie not only in political and social systems, but in the contradictions we carry within ourselves.
We often imagine that our personal attitudes and behaviors have little impact on politics or society. But this disconnection—between our inner lives and the world around us—is not a coincidence. It is a form of fragmentation at the heart of today’s crisis. As the Argentine thinker Silo argued, the violence of society is both a reflection of, and sustained by, the contradictions within us.
We can define contradiction simply: thinking, feeling, and acting in disconnected or opposing directions. Contradiction not only creates inner tension but also generates suffering, which in turn manifests as violence toward others. Contradictions also fracture our sense of meaning and drain our ability to act coherently in the world.
In The Internal Landscape, Silo writes:
“Every contradictory action that you have done in your life… has the unequivocal flavor of internal violence and betrayal of yourself… Something shattered then, and changed your direction. And this, in turn, predisposed you to a new rupture.”
These moments, he suggests, predispose us to further contradictory acts. We feel weaker, more confused, and increasingly cynical about the possibility of change—both within ourselves and in the world around us. These contradictions might appear in a variety of ways: We want peace, but spend over 50% of our federal budget on the military. We want justice, but don’t engage in activism. We want democracy, yet struggle to vote and are afraid to act. We want community, but avoid social contact.
These inner contradictions don’t stay contained—they affect how we relate to others, especially those closest to us. In the U.S., intimate partner violence affects an estimated 12 million Americans annually. According to the CDC, 41% of women and 26% of men report experiencing some form of IPV in their lifetime. These personal contradictions echo the broader violence and disconnection that permeate our culture.
Right-wing movements have learned to weaponize our internal fractures—turning confusion into fear, and fear into hate. When people feel powerless or emotionally disconnected, they are more vulnerable to simplistic narratives that blame outsiders or promise control. This is no accident. As Bernie Sanders warned as far back as 2003, economic elites exploit this disunity to dismantle collective support systems and weaken resistance.
The urgent task now is to align what we think, feel, and do—to reclaim our capacity to act with clarity and purpose. Inner coherence gives rise to collective strength. It’s not about perfection, but about intentionally choosing a direction that, in time, will compensate and eventually overcome our past contradictions. Healing ourselves and transforming the world are not separate efforts—they are two parts of the same struggle and need to happen simultaneously for either to be successful.
As Silo reminds us: “Contradictory or unifying actions accumulate within you… If you repeat your acts of internal unity, nothing can detain you. You will be like a force of Nature when it finds no resistance in its path.”
So the question remains:
When will we begin to transform our lives and finally break the cycle of violence that has ensnared us?
