A couple of days ago, I went out with an old high school friend. Her and her husband founded an organization of artists that actively fight for social justice and environmental issues. She is a real activist with profound beliefs and a real will to change society.
As we were having dinner and discussing various issues, I realized that her job requires her to always be angry - angry at the governments, at polluters, at the wealthy for accepting poverty, at elite for being elitist. Her opinions have to be radical, otherwise she wouldn't be able to fight with conviction. However, as much as I admire her in some way, I thought about the fact that she is somehow limited in her ideas. She is caught in a ideological constraint that doesn't really allow her to venture out and think outside the box. Every action that has a slightly "right wing" resonance needs to be destroyed! Capitalism is the source of all evil, etc.
It actually made me understand why I have never really been an activist. Although I strongly believe in social justice and equality, I'm not a radical. I tend to try to analyze things in the most objective way possible. It might sometimes mean sitting on the fence, which is not very productive. But, the thing is, I fear radical thinking. I believe it can lead to fanaticism, which, in turn, can lead to violence and war...
I have to admit, however, that extremism is sometimes necessary for change... Women would have never gotten the right to vote, had they not strongly fought for it. Many social changes required radical thinking and action. I just feel that aggressing the enemy might not always be the way to build a healthier, happier and more peaceful society.
"Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another."
"We must recognize that the suffering of one person or one nation is the suffering of humanity. That the happiness of one person or nation is the happiness of humanity."
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
The Dalai Lama
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2 comments:
lovely post... as it is indeed important to balance our passion to make the world a better place, with the humane understanding that in order to do this, we must work toward building bridges common ground and not high fences of angry barbed wire. here's a quote i found today that made me think of you, ms. happiness... so take a deep breath and know that in dreams... we can fly!
“Happiness consists in realizing it is all a great strange dream”
― Jack Kerouac
Thanks for the comment, dear newfriendfromparckennedypool. I love the quote... very inspiring. As it turns out, I have just re-read "On the Road". Talk about coincidence!
I guess, in the end, I'm just a real peace-and-love kind of girl! And maybe I'm an idealist, but I believe love can create miracles!
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