Choice

The unrest "out there" in the external world has a way of seeping  itself into each person and working its way into the fibers of self so that it can become indistinguishable from "other".

This is incredibly dangerous.

It fragments, disfigures, and transforms us into something that is indistinguishable from the "out there"

Or

It can ignite something different, a stirring of something deep and old, a recognition of "self", which when ignited melts away the tender parts encapsulated in tension and protection and invites them to reconvene with the rest of us.

We have choice in this and it's a matter of perspective and paying attention to what is going on within and how it shapes the "out there"