Are you an Activist or a Reactivist?

The Sting of Intolerance

Something big is in the air — do you feel it too? A transition, an upheaval, and people are waking up to it. As a result, every second job description seems to include ‘Activist’. And if this is you, I thank you; not everyone wants change. But beware: This territory comes with danger. If not approached with awareness, it can cast its own shadow and worsen the very problem it is trying to solve.

The danger is fear.

What is it that you wish to accomplish through your activism? Is it to get people to think, speak and act in line with how you or others think they should? And do you shame someone if they don’t jump on board, maybe even secretly judge them for it? How do you handle disagreement?

The thing is: We cannot control and force our agenda onto others. I know it’s alluring, especially when we feel this agenda is ‘so important’. But what this mentality does, is it divides because it creates me vs them and says, ‘I am right, you are wrong’.

However, reality is far more complex and nuanced than a simple duality.

So no matter how virtuous we may seem or how deeply we may appear to feel — if we’re caught up in black & white thinking, what we are really conveying is that we are motivated by a fear of needing to be right fueled by a deeper wound that we are afraid to feel.

Because what would happen if we allowed ourselves to feel?

We would have to let in the pain. We would have to face it. We would have to meet our rage, sadness, powerlessness, inadequacy and insignificance, all those unwanted things from our childhood that we’ve fought so hard to avoid.

Yet, fear cannot fight fear. And contrast doesn’t need to be a threat.

Next time you are triggered, try to stay with it. Instead of projecting, feel the sting. Observe your need to defend. If you want to attack, observe that too. Feel the sensations on your body. The contraction. The pounding heart. The hot flush. These cannot harm if witnessed without judgement, like a Vipassana practice in action. And when you think you’re done, stay a little more.

Eventually, the pain will vanish. Because you have allowed yourself to feel it. This will give rise to a clear mind, leading to true understanding, and compassion. And any thought, word or action that comes from this place bears fruits of a completely different kind.

A non-reactive impulse is a transformational force like no other. I experienced this first-hand at a meditation retreat. I was the one that was met with compassion, and it shook me to my core.