How many times have you looked around at people’s thoughts, behaviors, or words lately and thought, “wow, things need to change.”
“We have a lot of work to do.”
I studied both communication and international studies. Two of my big interests continue to be the way people send messages to each other and the way the world changes. I’m especially interested in the crossroads of those two things: how do people communicate in a way that influences how the world works?
I think lately, it’s been easy to look at how various messages get used to incite division and create mistrust. But, I’ve seen enough moments of change around the world to know it can be used for good.
Here’s the idea I’ve been working with lately: you don’t need to convert every single person from a wrong idea to the right idea. You literally can’t. Trying to do this and zooming in on every individual debate opportunity is a recipe for burnout and discouragement. Instead, you can work on creating an ecosystem where better ideas thrive. To play with that metaphor, it’s better to heal the soil than to prevent every single plant from dying.
Successful movements like suffrage, abolition, and LGBT rights didn’t rely on a strategy of getting every single person to listen, understand, and accept their message. They instead shifted the ecosystem, making it a little easier for people to come on board year-after-year.
🌐 It’s why I think creativity is a key ingredient to changemaking.
🌐 It’s why I spend a lot less energy on unproductive debates and focus more on amplifying worthy messages.
🌐 It’s why I increasingly see clarity as kindness.
🌐 It’s why I think beauty- something that gives us no choice but to collectively stop and marvel- can create change.
🌐 It’s why I think creating from a place of empathy and knowing your audience matters.