As we look back on this election season, I think we have learned a lot about ourselves.

What I have learned is this political atmosphere is not conducive to learning. This is not how things get done. Rather this is a distraction at its very finest.

It is truly amazing to see how barbaric it truly all has become. We are a generation of opinionated people. While this is lovely it can also be a two-headed beast.

I have gotten to the point where I hate talking politics with most people. This has come to shock me; I am usually a very political person. During this election season I have seen what both sides have chosen to do to one another. Denouncement, disrespect and pure ignorance.

To say the least I am disgusted.

While I scroll through Facebook looking for an excuse to not focus on schoolwork for 10 minutes I have been reminded over and over again. This election has brought out the worst in people.

Friends or family, neither are immune to the ignorance. What sickens me so much though is the fact that nothing is being learned.

Sure, you can sit back and be right all the time. It is easy to be right all the time. What is hard though is to be wrong. What is harder is to admit you are wrong.

I have friends who choose to plaster Facebook with political mumbo-jumbo. While I might agree with you, this doesn’t serve any purpose other than to say to the world, “Hey, look how right I am.”

This announcement is self-centered. This doesn’t open up a forum for constructive conversation. Rather this is a declaration focused on one person’s opinion: yourself.

I can admit to posting several political things to my Facebook. I can admit to shaming a group of people for differing beliefs or opinions. It is tempting.

I have learned though that no one’s mind has been changed that way. Rather the only winner with this is you.

It is even easier to see in conversation. It is so easy to denounce a candidate. It is also easy to follow the popular opinion as well.

What is hard is to read the news, consider biases and come to your own conclusion on something.

I was a Bernie guy. The thought of the old booger in the White House made me happy. I loved the idea of free universal healthcare. I was encouraged to think my generation might be the last generation to deal with student loan debt. I was mesmerized by the idea of a shift away from fossil fuels.

The problem with this utopia is simple: Congress. We can’t simply drag people to our perceived paradise.

Alienation sucks. If we continually point the finger at someone else instead of looking internally at our own faults no one will want to work with us. If we sit on our high horse and state “you are what’s wrong with America” to a group of people, why in the world would they want to work with anything we have offered.

Universal healthcare, free college tuition and greener options are all pipe dreams unless we can bridge this gap.

Ask someone from the other side their beliefs. Start a conversation. Refute the idea that just because someone has differing political opinions it makes them bad.

Learn from one another. Challenge one another. Perhaps this is how we will grow, and perhaps progress will actually happen. Posting issues is a great way to gather awareness. Being opinionated is great, but sitting and complaining and alienating does nothing. It can only achieve division and not actual progress.