A Radical Thought: You Can Make A Difference

In the immortal title of his bestseller, Steal This Book, Abbie Hoffman summed up the radicals of the 1960s. That era was about challenging the established way of doing things. And not always in the most, shall we say, peaceful ways (either on the part of the protestors or the authorities). If I had to sum up the "old radical" approach (still in use today by many people and organizations), it's about shaming, blaming, and attacking.

When I began researching my book, I wondered if there was another way to meet the world's challenges. Was there a "new" radical approach?

And the answer is a resounding "Yes!".

As I interviewed people -- and read accounts of hundreds of others -- I began to observe a common theme. I saw that the men and women I came to call the New Radicals believe in the pull of vision. They recognize the power of dialogue. They see the possibilities inherent in working together toward change. It is a profound shift, and one that is played out over and over again by people of all ages, in each field, every sector, and around the world. (For more on the New Radicals, see archived articles.)

New Radicals are, I realized, positive, constructive, and hopeful.

In fact, I began to think of "positive, constructive, hopeful" as a kind of New Radical credo. Which means that it's not just a phrase, but a tool we can actually use in our daily lives -- a reference point for all of our choices and actions.

Try this experiment. The next time you need to make a decision, when you're in a meeting and it's your turn to speak, or when you're filling up the car with gas or picking up the dry cleaning, run what you're about to say or do through the "positive, constructive, hopeful" filter first. I guarantee that something will shift. And you'll begin to see that we change ourselves and influence others even in the simplest ways. Forget the world stage; right now, in the middle of daily life, you can make a difference.

All of this musing about a New Radical credo made me wonder if there isn't a growing desire for a moral code. Something Bill Gates wrote in an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal about his work for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation came to mind, "This would do more than challenge our intellect. This would challenge our humanity."

And then Dr. Robert Coles appeared on my radar for the first time in many years. Remember him? Coles, a child psychiatrist and one of the best-known civil rights activists of the 1960s, has spent a lifetime studying morality: what it is, how it's created, and its place in our lives. (And, yes, he's still going strong!)

Now, Coles is describing morality as a kind of third intelligence. He says we've known about rational or cognitive intelligence for a long time. And that we have learned a lot in the last decade or so about emotional intelligence. But he believes that a third kind of intelligence -- moral -- is just as important, and that people want more of it in their lives.

Coles, I was glad to learn, remains optimistic about our world. What's more, he believes that being hopeful about the future is our moral obligation. And he takes the things that he's seen in his lifetime -- including civil rights -- as evidence that more positive change is possible.

Do you agree with Coles and the New Radicals? Are you confident that we can save the world? And have you had an experience of applying your own version of the New Radicals credo to an everyday moment? Did it work? Or have you ever noticed someone else doing their best to be positive, constructive, and hopeful -- and did it shift something in you?

Comments

[Triangle1]

It's all about people controlling other people. I want to control you because I don't agree with your thought process. I don't have control and want to seize it from you. Problem is, we can't control the world. It's best to do your own thing, resisting the urge to control others. I don't harm you, you don't harm me. Do your thing, I do mine. http://mespace.wordpress.com

[communicatinghumanity]

IMO the only thing we can truly change is ourselves - and acknowledge that everything is energy of one form or another - and to thereby become acutely mindful about the impact we have upon others, the planet and ourselves. This requires extreme self-honesty and fearless self-inquiry - and sometimes that isn't necessarily fun. But if you're going to have transparency between what you claim to believe and how you show up in the world, the muck has to go. One of the biggest chunks of muck that we run into is our self-importance, and the delusion that we (or some "herd" we've joined with a particular group mindset) are the ones who are going to "change the world."

Running all potential choices, actions and behaviors through a "positive, constructive, hopeful" filter may make you feel all warm and fuzzy, but again, IMO, it's important to ALSO be realistic. Meditate with your eyes OPEN.

I do agree it's important to be positive, constructive, and hopeful - but please, don't attempt to stick some new label on my head because of that :) . If we all just played nice with each other, emotional, social and moral intelligence would be a natural outgrowth. Cheers!

[ShawnMichel]

What? Another herd called The New Radicals? Weren't they an 80s techno band?

I can't remember the book--it came out some ten years ago--on something-or-other called the "creatives" or some such ... how these on-the-edge thinking folks were going to change things. Oh, Lordy: stats were produced, graphs were drawn, tables were populated with endless data. And then ...

Bush stole office--twice. (And where were these "creatives"?)

Our Constitution suffered multiple mortal blows, effectively ending the United States. (And where were these "creatives"?)

Our environment, air, and water have been permanently poisoned. (And where were these "creatives"?)

Corporatism reached new highs of greed, wanton destruction, and suburbanism. (And where were these world-saving "creatives"?)

Your "New Radicals" are simply another herd. And herdism won't fix this world, which very well may be beyond fixing.

Wake up already. Please