Optimism is a political act. Those who benefit from the status quo are perfectly happy with a large population of people who believe nothing will get any better. In fact, these days, cynicism is obedience. What’s really radical is being willing to look right at the magnitude and difficulty of the problems we face and still insist we can solve those problems.
Alex Steffen author of Worldchanging:
A User’s Guide for the 21st Century
and Carbon Zero: Imagining Cities
That Can Save the Planet
“This quote resonates deeply with me. There are always those who benefit from the status quo, who hope we remain silent, who focus solely on buying and selling and insist that nothing can change. When Steffen says, “cynicism is obedience,” he’s piercingly clear. What is truly radical is facing the full magnitude and difficulty of the issues before us yet still insisting that solutions are possible. I realize I’m reiterating it, but it powerfully captures both our predicament and the potential for who we might become in response.”
Sam Daley-Harris is founder of Results,
an international citizen’s lobby
dedicated to creating the political willto end hunger and poverty.
He’s the author of Reclaiming Our Democracy:
Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy
