Depending on your perspective and your environment, there might be a hopeless amount of bad things going on. Things like war, potential war, increasing income disparity, fascism, capitalism, big tech taking over, AI bubble, etc. etc… So how does one pull out someone who is exposed to an unhealthy amount of negativity like this, and motivate them to work towards something positive that is within their sphere of influence?
Myself, I think I’m gifted/cursed with stubbornness: I refuse to back down just because there is a huge statistic showing we’re f#@ked, when I know there are things I can do to counteract the negative situations. Every little bit helps, everything from providing free educational support for individuals (counteracts ignorance), to tending to my garden (counteracts climate change), and buying the slightly more expensive local products in the store as long as I can afford it (counteracts monopolies).
There are plenty more small things, but the ultimate question I’ve had on my mind for a long time, is simply how to make others think like me? I am a happy individual despite my small sphere of influence in this world, and I wish for others to have that same happiness.
P.S.
If you, or someone you know, would like to discuss mindsets and how to approach the world with determination, my DMs are open.
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Forcing yourself to be positive leads to even more positivity (which doesn’t need to be forced!). The Transcendental Meditation crowd knows this to be true. The artificial pursuit of money for survival is hard to get past though.
The best I can do is to not be part of the problem.
It’s cliche, but be the change you want to see in the world. Lots of people are set in their ways, but seeing someone behave with patience, consistency, and integrity actually moves the needle. Interrupting a church service is a surefire way to make people reject your ideals outright, regardless of the message. Leading by example, on the other hand, makes your values visible without forcing them—and that kind of positive influence tends to reinforce itself over time.
You mention you yourself may be stubborn, you probably wouldn’t want some ideal forced down your throat, I imagine most people feel the same way.
I like your examples of home gardening and free educational support, those are real actions that make a difference.
To expand a bit on stubbornness: as I’ve said in another comment, invest your time on people who agree with the basic idea of your position but disagree with the conclusion.
When you go talk to those people, avoid telling your opinion. Use the Socratic method to make them walk step by step towards the conclusion (see this video, pay attention to how he poses open ended questions). This way, it’s the interlocutor arriving at their own conclusion instead of you pushing your ideas on them.
Keep in mind that whenever you start debating, you’ve lost the opportunity to make them see what you see. Debates are only useful if the target of your activism is someone listening to the debate.
All people have that in them, just “life” gets in the way. The things you probably want are not necessary, but additional. And most people have already so much stuff to do, and going on in their lives, they just try to keep the work and burden to the minimum. And by going that way, you would either need to carry more burden, or let something else fall down.
Find something you are passionate about and find a way to trully make a difference. I am investing funds I don’t really have into building a YouTube channel with the goal of using it to fund a non-profit that will support teens and young adults who have survived childhood abuse.
I’ve seen tons of people make a fortune on YouTube and do nothing more than blow the cash on extravagance so I figure why not use it to help a group who truly need it. Connecting people to nature has been proven to be helpful and there are some really good people in the diving community. It can also put them down a path where they can give back to nature and others while also helping themselves. It could easily end up putting them in a career path they never expected or even knew existed.
Learning to dive for me was a huge thing. I was at a point in my life where I was ready to give up. I was mentally, physically, and sexually abused by my family and bullied by my peers. As an adult I have struggled to do much more than exist. In 2019 after my wife passed away I ended up wandering into a dive shop. I broke down while filling out paperwork because of a simple question, married or single.
I still struggle at times but being underwater is when I truly feel at peace. To bring that to someone else and give them something to enjoy at a low time in their life is something I hope will make a lasting impact on their lives and the lives they touch even after I am gone.
There are some people that low hanging fruits and are much more prone to change. These will be the ones who already agree with some basic aspect of the view your trying to show them. For example, say you’re trying to show people veganism is the way to go. Then you try to outreach people who agree with the pillar of the idea: needlessly exploiting animals is wrong. If the person disagrees with the cornerstone of the idea you’re trying to instill, is worthless to continue the conversation. There will be plenty more agreeable people.
Investing your time on these targets will make much easier to change the Overton window and from there, with enough activists, some sort of snowball effect should start occurring. Like the civil rights movement or the suffragists in the US.
It is important to focus on one thing. And I’d say to focus on something that has a clear path on producing actual results, something where you aren’t just spinning your wheels against an opposing group.
Build a community. Don’t just expect people to randomly see you do something and get inspired. Actively build a real life face to face community with certain values - and don’t expect help. Welcome any that comes but don’t expect it. Do not discuss politics explicitly, focus on core values.
Organize a weekly outing event to pick up litter or something. Chat with people. Do it even if nobody shows up.
