I’ve stayed away from social media for the past few years. It wasn’t an active decision; I was just fortunate to have gotten caught up in a happy, wonderful life, and spent time offline instead of online. I also generally prefer to listen rather than talk, and wrote even less since writing takes time. (I knew what my opinions are; I wanted to learn what other people’s opinions were, so I could expand my knowledge and improve.) I’ve also typically taken an Asian approach to letting things slide: if someone says something that I don’t quite agree with, I just nod, smile, move on and avoid the unnecessary drama. (Why make my life harder, after all?)

This US election changes all that. I realised that the attitude I hold is selfish: I’m not doing the same favour to my friends and workmates that they do for me, by staying silent instead of participating in discussion and muting my opinions. And the next time someone makes a comment that’s even slightly or inadvertently sexist or racist, I’ll start arguing back. When the political talk gets fiery, I’ll make an effort to join in and offer alternative viewpoints instead of simply listening and absorbing. This is 2016, and the misconceptions and bias just has to stop.

This election has made professional, successful, capable women, from bright college students to officers of Fortune 500 companies, place dozens of Post-It notes on bathroom mirrors in their workplace to give them encouragement because they are truly afraid and scared. Never mind the black, LGBT, Latino and other communities who have been terrified for so long and will probably face deeper systematized persecution. If you voted for Trump, please understand that many of your fellow Americans are legitimately afraid, and you are the most powerful voice to renounce the hatred and intolerance that have arisen due to Trump’s presidential election. And if we, the self-styled progressives, understand that the vast majority of Muslims are not fundamentalist terrorists and that the vast majority of black people with hoodies aren’t dangerous, then we must give the same courtesy, respect and open-mindedness to Trump voters, who are the absolute equal to any progressive. We must believe that to our core.

Many talk about diversity, and it’s true that it leads to better outcomes, but not as many understand that it is hard, and it takes a staggering amount of effort to get two people screaming at each other to empathise, see each other’s viewpoints, and work together. That’s what we have to work toward.

I know many don’t share my opinion, but I looked up to Hillary Clinton, and still do. Maybe it’s true that Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren would have won if they were the nominee, but they weren’t, and Ms. Clinton was the one who threw herself out into the public eye and endured the incredible demands of a presidential campaign. I personally saw her inspire close friends and family to reach further and strive higher, and I am immensely grateful for her influence on people I love. Thank you Hillary, and I hope we see another woman presidential nominee before long with your dedication, fight and courage. I hope that all our efforts to fight for inclusion, tolerance and diversity does justice to everything you were campaigning for in 2016, and I know that I, at least, am changing myself to try to make a difference.