Gabbing Geek Box Office Report: We Should All Do Like Ryan Will Do. Even Jimmy.

Yeah, it’s that time again.  That time when I write up the box office report and wonder why.  So, as always, I’ll write a quick essay for all and sundry to ignore until they see what they want to see if they see anything at all.

And we’ll do it by bringing up Gabbing Geek Co-Founder Ryan, who just so happens to be passionate about both the numbers game and other, much more important things.

Like a lot of people, we here at Gabbing Geek were a bit surprised by the results of last week’s election.  Now, I’m still a federal employee, and I’m still not sure what I can and can’t say publicly regarding politics, so I won’t comment on that directly.

What I will say is that a number of people felt a great sense of despair come across them when they saw who won.  But the better response, once that victory became clear, was to find a positive way to make this country what it really should be.

And Ryan actually came up with a really good five step plan.  You can read it here.

So, Gabbing Geek being the closest I have to a personal soap box to preach from, here are a few things I would say is good advice for anybody and everybody regardless of how you feel about the election results.  Yes, even if you’re pleased with who won, these are what I consider good tips.

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND CHALLENGE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS

It’s too easy to find information that confirms your personal biases.  Try challenging them.  See what the other side(s) of the argument has to say.  Find out what makes people think and feel the way they do.  Dismissing whole swaths of any population as “stupid” or “evil” or both doesn’t help anybody.

Furthermore, nobody can be an expert on everything.  What you can do, though, is learn more about things you know little about.  Being just a little better informed can make you a more productive member of society.  You don’t need to go to college to get an education.

LISTEN TO OTHERS AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR POINT OF VIEW

I think this one is self-explanatory.  Treating other people like people goes a long way.  In the end, people are people, and labeling them in derogatory ways doesn’t help anyone.

Oh, and understanding a point of view is not the same thing as agreeing with it.

SUPPORT THE CAUSES YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN WITH MORE THAN A FACEBOOK LIKE

Facebook, Twitter, and the like are good for getting information out there, maybe helping people make plans, but that’s about it.  We’ve all seen online campaigns that don’t really do anything but create a new hashtag.  If there’s a cause you truly believe in, go out and fight for it.  Pound the pavement.  Donate your time and resources.  Let people know how strongly you feel.

Heck, if you feel strongly enough, run for office yourself.

HELP THE DOWNTRODDEN

There are a lot of people out there who need help.  Many voted for Trump, others for Clinton, and some not at all.  Don’t discriminate.  Don’t assume.  Find a way to help.  And while I truly believe most people are decent human beings, not everyone is.  Stand up to all bullies, even the ones you ideologically agree with.  Especially them.  They’re the ones that make your side, whatever it is, look bad.

KNOW THE LIMITS

My late grandmother used to say that it really doesn’t matter who wins any election; you still have to do your own dishes.  I think that’s damn good advice.  We all have our problems and chores, but we can’t expect other people, especially the president, to swoop in and solve all our problems for us.  You must do your own dishes.

But here’s the thing:  no one can do everything alone.  We, as a people, as a species, work better when we work together.  Want change?  Figure out what needs changing and attack the problem.  Figure out who can solve the problem and who can’t.  The president isn’t going to fill in your potholes, fund the local animal shelter, or clean your septic tank.  Those are tasks for other people.  Find out who those people are.

And bigger problems need more people.  Complicated problems almost never have simple solutions.  Work towards making your country, whatever country it is, more of what you want it to be.  You may or may not win.  But fight, dammit.

That’s what we all need to do to make the world a better place for everyone.  Too many people give in to things like despair, apathy, or, worst of all, violence.  Don’t be like those people.  Lift your fellow human beings up.  Don’t drag them down.  Lifting is harder, but ultimately much more rewarding.

And now the box office.

1. Doctor Strange $43 million
2. Trolls $35 million
3. Arrival $24 million
4. Almost Christmas $15.6 million
5. Hacksaw Ridge $10.8 million