To the surprise of absolutely no one, my walk got derailed.
I'll write about it on Patreon, but for now: sitting with 4 migrants telling their story of hoofing it across South America for work was just what I needed for perspective.
Also:
I know it annoys some people that I don't go hard enough against awful things.*
Being a humanist makes me look like a damned fence-sitter.
But there's so much to learn from holding views in tension.
We all deserve to be treated humanely *just as we are*.
*Amusingly, mind you, some folks also think I already go *way* too hard on some things, and that I'm a shrill radical left nutbag, so YMMV. 😉
Who said I was being passive?
I don't disagree with forms of activism that involve combative response. There are many tools in the wheelhouse, and all have their time and place.
I don't agree that advocating humanistically is a "passive" position, though.
There's a difference between treating people "humanely" and "kindly", though, so maybe that's the trip word in what I first wrote that gave the suggestion I'm advocating for rolling over when people want me/others killed.
@MLClark I think how I worded that myself caused a slight misunderstanding. I was not implying you or I were passive. I simply mean that the humanistic way can be perceived as being passive and when we do come out swinging it can appear to others as being harsh.
Text is a rotten medium, eh? :)
Often, people just want affirmation that you're part of the tribe. The efficacy of the activism doesn't matter as much as reassuring others you're on "their" side.
I have a *lot* of people who dump anger at the world in my direction, and want me to be angry with them at their level. (This morning, a marginalized person in my writing circles.) Then I look like a fence-sitter when I'm already in the "acting on it" phase, not the wild fury phase.
I'd never police someone's anger, but sometimes I really can't be angry with someone at that level *and do what needs doing* to effect change.
Yesterday, e.g., another writer wanted me to vent with him about industry neglecting how hard things are on his continent *when I was in the middle of writing an explainer on recent West African suffering for Western readers*. 😅
Humanist action is sometimes annoyingly holistic for individuals who just want you to be angry with them.
@MLClark "Humanist action is sometimes annoyingly holistic for individuals who just want you to be angry with them."
- Especially when it is out of character for the one trying to be a better human being. I still have the old warrior traits that I spend a lot of time trying to tame but others expect me to let loose.💙
May I suggest a slight reframe?
I think your experience with "warrior traits" might be more blessing than curse. Just think of all the experience you have with those forms of thought and action--and how much *empathy* you can now bring from them to all your advocacy work for others in your communities, going forward.
I would suggest that it's not about "taming" old habits, so much as seeing them as your path to forms of advocacy that others won't be able to pull off as well.
@MLClark I did not think of looking at it that way. Thank you. It may be why I'm struggling so much. Like it or not I guess they will always be a part of who I am, but that doesn't mean I cannot adapt them to align with how I wish to change.
Back in Canada, I knew a few later-life male social workers who'd taken their rough-and-tumble youths & turned them into a fount of insight and patience, making them INCREDIBLE advocates for others still deep in the fray.
I have a sneaking suspicion that, wherever you direct your advocacy energy next, you will be pleasantly surprised by how much strength and wisdom you're already in a position to share with others, just by knowing yourself and the journey you've been on. 💛
@MLClark I've been struggling lately when writing, especially short text like these and have been misunderstood. I think the emotions all of us are feeling is making it difficult to be clear and understood.
I'm the type of person, but working on it, who has always tried to meet the other person's level of anger. Now that I'm trying to be more even keeled, I struggle somewhat because it is a relatively new experience for me and I need practice.
Oh, I'm glad you felt safe replying all the same, Tacitus. As ever, this makes for an excellent opportunity to get BOTH our thoughts sorted out. 🤗
Media literacy has made me cautious about all fury triggers. It's easy to conflate many forms of venting with meaningful activism. Meanwhile, those whipping up the fury are often banking on our subsequent feelings of helplessness and despair.
Our outrage is a precious resource; its use should always be to keep our agency strong.
@MLClark We can be fair, compassionate, understanding and measured when it comes to voicing our opinions. But sometimes, we need to come out swinging too. We are under no obligation to treat anyone kindly when they are out to end our way of life and upset the balance that we work so hard to achieve. You don't have to be over the top but you also need not be passive. In science we learn that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.