It's funny, I also started tending to life logistics a couple weeks ago, deciding to "deep clean one thing every week" in my apartment. I didn't explicitly correlate this resolution to climate/politics at the time, but it definitely is was the result of me trying to find some order amid chaos.
In terms of committing to "one thing" to resist it definitely is a challenge to stay focused on whatever that thing is! Every day seems to present a new shiny object/dumpster fire. Great post, Andrew!
For myself, I simply started with the one central fact about achieving major social change: it takes a helluva lot of organizing, coupled with the other major fact of social change history: nonviolent strategies are 2x as effective as violent ones From those two simple facts and using simple logic, I realized that we therefore urgently need lots of organizers, devoted, fulltime. And from that I logically realized we needed something much better than GoFundMe to enable potential talented organizers stuck in meaningless jobs today to be able to get free housing (Mutual aid!) and crowdfund the remaining funds they need to cover food, health insurance, transportation, etc to be able to organize for their favorite urgent and critically important justice campaign (climate, democracy, housing, make-the-rich-pay their fair share, etc) campaign. I call all of this AdoptAnOrganizer and the goal is to get this app out there asap to rapidly recruit at least 1000 fulltime organizers to work in key floppable House districts and in the states of flippable GOP Senators. We only need 2 or 3 of each to leave the cult to stop this insanity. 1500 fulltime organizers would enable a mass nonviolent resistance strategy to succeed as well. I would love to find some collaborators/cofounders.. If you read our one pager at bit.ly/AAO1p, youll find how to reach us. I cherish constructive criticism, questions, suggestions.
I think we have to go two steps further than selective denial - I believe that two decades of selective denial have brought us into our current mess. More of the same will not get us out of the mess! Read my blog:
THE POWER AND PERIL OF SELECTIVE DENIAL: A Response to Andrew Boyd
To stay sane in chaotic times, we all practice selective denial—but what happens when it turns into hypocrisy that fuels public distrust? From climate offsets for the wealthy to elitist blind spots in diversity and inclusion, this article explores how filtering reality too much can backfire—and why a holistic, community-based approach is the real path forward.
Thank you, this is brilliant and refreshing, times are overwhelming and it's good to remember that it's ok to tend to our needs and even be happy in our daily life despite the horrors of the world.
Thank you. I too am often more porous in the morning - which is bittersweet as the joy and pain kind of all swirl around once the door is open, and I don’t want to loose the ability to touch softly what feels beautiful and infinite by shutting the same door that lets in the pain too. I often remind myself to trust the billions who are doing their bit for their one big thing. Thanks for the practical links too.
Thanks Andrew especially for the blessing. I shall carry that with me. You might enjoy an Onbeing episode listened to last week with Joan Baez, where she said something very similar. You’re right. It’s not often said and it’s so important that we give ourselves permission to be in selective denial in order that life has full flavour and joy as well as the important work. Xo
Love this so much and am sharing to all and sundry. Selective denial and selective attention will become common parlance soon I'm sure. I even discussed your article at the dentist yesterday and got into the DSR network via one of your links. Gave me hope for sure.
Thanks for your blessing, my tragically optimistic brother Andrew! Yes! We must practice “compartmentalization for the win” because “it’s an ecosystem of resistance”! With a snap election called by conservative Doug Ford in Ontario and the threat of Pierre Poilievre (endorsed by Elon Musk) coming to power federally, many progressives here are also feeling like they want us to feel overwhelmed, outraged, and go about scrambling. But for me, supporting NDP candidates by phone banking etc. is something I can manage. I’m sure decluttering would be “good medicine” for me too. I’ll try more of that :)
Andrew this is great. I'm sending it to my cousin Hilary Howard at NYT (I alerted her to you), and others. My Better Catastrophe group from last year is regrouping this Sunday, with new recruits, and I am facilitating a Joanna- Macy style workshop over several weeks. I live in NC mountains, and we are still recovering from Helene, but the resilience and love for one another have been truly inspiring. Thanks again for your sage advice.
It's funny, I also started tending to life logistics a couple weeks ago, deciding to "deep clean one thing every week" in my apartment. I didn't explicitly correlate this resolution to climate/politics at the time, but it definitely is was the result of me trying to find some order amid chaos.
In terms of committing to "one thing" to resist it definitely is a challenge to stay focused on whatever that thing is! Every day seems to present a new shiny object/dumpster fire. Great post, Andrew!
This post was very helpful to me! I especially loved the final, centering prayer. I am spreading it widely❤️🩹
FWIW I suggest for your next post you provide people with a system or algorithm--a decision tree to help people choose what to focus on, one informed by what history has to teach us about how to best resist fascist take overs, for example, Lakey's essays, https://wagingnonviolence.org/2025/01/can-nonviolent-struggle-defeat-a-dictator-this-database-emphatically-says-yes/, or https://wagingnonviolence.org/2020/08/plan-prevent-trump-election-coup-research/
For myself, I simply started with the one central fact about achieving major social change: it takes a helluva lot of organizing, coupled with the other major fact of social change history: nonviolent strategies are 2x as effective as violent ones From those two simple facts and using simple logic, I realized that we therefore urgently need lots of organizers, devoted, fulltime. And from that I logically realized we needed something much better than GoFundMe to enable potential talented organizers stuck in meaningless jobs today to be able to get free housing (Mutual aid!) and crowdfund the remaining funds they need to cover food, health insurance, transportation, etc to be able to organize for their favorite urgent and critically important justice campaign (climate, democracy, housing, make-the-rich-pay their fair share, etc) campaign. I call all of this AdoptAnOrganizer and the goal is to get this app out there asap to rapidly recruit at least 1000 fulltime organizers to work in key floppable House districts and in the states of flippable GOP Senators. We only need 2 or 3 of each to leave the cult to stop this insanity. 1500 fulltime organizers would enable a mass nonviolent resistance strategy to succeed as well. I would love to find some collaborators/cofounders.. If you read our one pager at bit.ly/AAO1p, youll find how to reach us. I cherish constructive criticism, questions, suggestions.
I think we have to go two steps further than selective denial - I believe that two decades of selective denial have brought us into our current mess. More of the same will not get us out of the mess! Read my blog:
THE POWER AND PERIL OF SELECTIVE DENIAL: A Response to Andrew Boyd
To stay sane in chaotic times, we all practice selective denial—but what happens when it turns into hypocrisy that fuels public distrust? From climate offsets for the wealthy to elitist blind spots in diversity and inclusion, this article explores how filtering reality too much can backfire—and why a holistic, community-based approach is the real path forward.
https://thorstenarnold.com/power-and-peril-of-selective-denial/
Thank you, this is brilliant and refreshing, times are overwhelming and it's good to remember that it's ok to tend to our needs and even be happy in our daily life despite the horrors of the world.
Thank you. I too am often more porous in the morning - which is bittersweet as the joy and pain kind of all swirl around once the door is open, and I don’t want to loose the ability to touch softly what feels beautiful and infinite by shutting the same door that lets in the pain too. I often remind myself to trust the billions who are doing their bit for their one big thing. Thanks for the practical links too.
Thanks Andrew especially for the blessing. I shall carry that with me. You might enjoy an Onbeing episode listened to last week with Joan Baez, where she said something very similar. You’re right. It’s not often said and it’s so important that we give ourselves permission to be in selective denial in order that life has full flavour and joy as well as the important work. Xo
Love this so much and am sharing to all and sundry. Selective denial and selective attention will become common parlance soon I'm sure. I even discussed your article at the dentist yesterday and got into the DSR network via one of your links. Gave me hope for sure.
Thanks for your blessing, my tragically optimistic brother Andrew! Yes! We must practice “compartmentalization for the win” because “it’s an ecosystem of resistance”! With a snap election called by conservative Doug Ford in Ontario and the threat of Pierre Poilievre (endorsed by Elon Musk) coming to power federally, many progressives here are also feeling like they want us to feel overwhelmed, outraged, and go about scrambling. But for me, supporting NDP candidates by phone banking etc. is something I can manage. I’m sure decluttering would be “good medicine” for me too. I’ll try more of that :)
Needs to be said again and again, along with the joy of giving yourself to that one thing can bring when full of meaning and love
brilliant, my friend. And I'm so glad you have these tools for self preservation.
I love this, Andrew. We rely on each other to be where we need to be and do what we can. Team Resistance. Thank you!
Love this advice and story, Andrew!
Andrew this is great. I'm sending it to my cousin Hilary Howard at NYT (I alerted her to you), and others. My Better Catastrophe group from last year is regrouping this Sunday, with new recruits, and I am facilitating a Joanna- Macy style workshop over several weeks. I live in NC mountains, and we are still recovering from Helene, but the resilience and love for one another have been truly inspiring. Thanks again for your sage advice.
Thanks Andrew! I'll share this with friends and family. I think many of them need to hear this.
Thank you Andrew, this was the piece I needed to read today - and possibly every day.