Guidebook Quote Memes & Copy
- The Game You Play
- Intactivist Message
- Sharing The Message
- You Must Organize
- Opposition Focus
- Active Allies
- Book & Author Photos
“Many people think they know what the rules of the game of activism are. They might not be able to consciously articulate those rules, but there is an unconscious understanding of the game they are playing. However, if you were to clearly articulate each person’s unconscious rules for the game of activism, you might get different contradictory answers from each person.
For example, one person might articulate the game of activism as a game of “who has the best arguments.” Another might articulate it as “win elections.” Does the person with the best argument always win elections? If not, these two people are playing two different games, and only the one who is playing the real game will win.
Other games include the game of “who is the most morally correct,” the game of “who has the most accurate science,” the game of “who has the most citations in academic literature,” the game of “who looks the best to the public,” the game of “who has the most resources and money,” etc. I’m sure if I asked, you could list a dozen more games people play.
What game you play depends on your goal. For example, if you want to win elections, but you are playing the game of “who has the best argument,” then if you don’t win the election you can’t complain “but my argument was better!” You were playing the wrong game.”
“The idea that sharing the message will lead to change comes from the belief that the cause of Intactivism is so just, and circumcision such an obvious and appalling evil, that when people hear the message they will naturally change.
Experience shows the opposite. Many people retreat into denial and defensiveness when confronted with new information about circumcision. Historical just-causes were almost always met with resistance, despite most modern people now seeing them as obvious truths.
If sharing the message alone won’t lead to an end to circumcision, what is the missing step?”
The Intactivist Guidebook attempts to answer that question.
“The amount of work required to make someone who has “never thought about this issue” see the light is much lower than convincing opposition to do the same.
If you want the highest reward, focus on those closer to your way of thinking.”
Passive allies are people who support your cause but are not actively working on it. These are the people who agree with you but are not taking action.
Most people are passive allies on the issues they care about. Think about the number of issues you support. How many of these issues have you volunteered at a non-profit for, or given money to support? Even if you contribute to multiple issues, you’ll prioritize some above others, since you only have so many resources to give.
But passive allies are still important, as they add social proof and passive support to those who are doing active work.
What would it mean if every passive ally started attending events, donating money, and contributing their skills? How much more could you do?
More coming soon.
Book and Author Photos
