principles for 2020
avaaz.org
January 9, 2020Let’s make the 2020s the decade we took it all back.
There’s something more powerful than laws and policies: us.
The culture, values and beliefs of people.
And while we were trying to change policies, anger and fear and Facebook and the Kremlin have been changing people.
We can start by following 4 principles that have been strongly supported by Avaaz members.
PRINCIPLES FOR 2020
1. Untrigger
“Triggers” quickly move us to anger and fear – they steal our best and offer our worst. We all trigger all the time, but if we own our triggers as our own: “that’s my insecurity about x” then we can stop blaming others, stop being trolly, and start acting from love and wisdom.
2. Listen for wisdom
When we’re not triggered, we can listen deeply to the perspectives of others, as well as to ourselves – to the emotions of our heart, the reason of our heads, and the intuition of our gut – and we can listen for that quiet voice within that harmonizes all of these things, and suggests wisdom to us.
3. Be kind AND strong
Kindness without strength can be cowardice. And strength without kindness can be brutal. We need both love and strength, ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’, to successfully protect the things we hold precious and in common.
4. Stop the Gossip, seek the truth
Fake news, half-truths, smears, and disinformation motivated by emotion and agenda bring out the worst in all of us. People are fundamentally decent, but we are quick to embrace simple demonizations that justify the worst we do to each other. Let’s strive to see the human not the villain, and understand the often complex truth.