Resistance is assistance
Resistance is Assistance. I heard this statement for the first time 1996 from my teacher and mentor Ed Nevis.
With this post I want to resist the demonisation of resistance that is currently dominating the market of #change.
- By seeding networks of people who want to support each other in their work to keep basic infrastructures and social services in the public domain, I resist the privatisation of the solutions and the collectivisation of the problems.
- By co-creating spaces and times for analogue relationships, I resist the overwhelming digitalisation of everything human.
- By keeping my stance as a hopeful pessimist, I resist the message of positivity and optimism.
- By trusting and not locking my doors, I resist those that sow fear for free to sell us expensive security.
- By focusing on the next meaningful step, I resist the tyranny of goals, metrics and plans.
- By accepting my size and place, I resist the pressure to grow and to move towards new adventures.
So yes, resistance is only in the perception of those who promote change or ride the waves of change.
But when we who are perceived as resistors look at ourselves on our own terms, what we are doing is to assist ourselves and each other to do our thing our own way.
Our acts of assistance are also reminders of what we all are losing that is worth keeping.
#Resistance is then an act of love.
Photo of El Grau, the path climbing up to the Sanctuary near Sant Llorenç de Morunys in northern Spain, where I withdraw twice a year for silent and disconnected retreats.
With this post I want to resist the demonisation of resistance that is currently dominating the market of #change.
- By seeding networks of people who want to support each other in their work to keep basic infrastructures and social services in the public domain, I resist the privatisation of the solutions and the collectivisation of the problems.
- By co-creating spaces and times for analogue relationships, I resist the overwhelming digitalisation of everything human.
- By keeping my stance as a hopeful pessimist, I resist the message of positivity and optimism.
- By trusting and not locking my doors, I resist those that sow fear for free to sell us expensive security.
- By focusing on the next meaningful step, I resist the tyranny of goals, metrics and plans.
- By accepting my size and place, I resist the pressure to grow and to move towards new adventures.
So yes, resistance is only in the perception of those who promote change or ride the waves of change.
But when we who are perceived as resistors look at ourselves on our own terms, what we are doing is to assist ourselves and each other to do our thing our own way.
Our acts of assistance are also reminders of what we all are losing that is worth keeping.
#Resistance is then an act of love.
Photo of El Grau, the path climbing up to the Sanctuary near Sant Llorenç de Morunys in northern Spain, where I withdraw twice a year for silent and disconnected retreats.