A good example is AOC talking last night about going out there and informing the department of labor that sharing data with DOGE is a violation of the law. Every small step to protect our rights is worthwhile in the face of tyranny - all pessimism does is give away without any fight.
Thank you for this. I’ve found that not flinching from the world is actually grounding, and in a weird way, calming. As much as pessimism is warranted, it’s also true that many of (all?)the rights and advances humans have made were made through organized movements. So there is real reason for optimism too - not to reach utopia, but at least a better reality. This too has been proven throughout history.
Thank you for this beautiful echo to the action/rest state I feel arising in myself without personal hope but still feeling into my/our freedom to act in defense of life and simultaneously to experience the beauty of our lives.
Gramsci may have quoted Rolland. Whatever. A more recent comment on the antithesis of the two is by Elif Shafak, "But my hope is the people, the society, which is ahead of the government." I hope she's right, since no one person so far seems to embody the heroism needed to galvanize the public against the two-headed monster we dread.
The phrase "Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will" if often credited to Gramsci, but he was quoting the French writer and antiwar activist Romain Rolland.
A good example is AOC talking last night about going out there and informing the department of labor that sharing data with DOGE is a violation of the law. Every small step to protect our rights is worthwhile in the face of tyranny - all pessimism does is give away without any fight.
Thank you for this. I’ve found that not flinching from the world is actually grounding, and in a weird way, calming. As much as pessimism is warranted, it’s also true that many of (all?)the rights and advances humans have made were made through organized movements. So there is real reason for optimism too - not to reach utopia, but at least a better reality. This too has been proven throughout history.
Keep writing!
Thank you for this beautiful echo to the action/rest state I feel arising in myself without personal hope but still feeling into my/our freedom to act in defense of life and simultaneously to experience the beauty of our lives.
Gramsci may have quoted Rolland. Whatever. A more recent comment on the antithesis of the two is by Elif Shafak, "But my hope is the people, the society, which is ahead of the government." I hope she's right, since no one person so far seems to embody the heroism needed to galvanize the public against the two-headed monster we dread.
The phrase "Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will" if often credited to Gramsci, but he was quoting the French writer and antiwar activist Romain Rolland.
Thanks, Waleed. I sent this to my kids with a note "This is one of the best writings I have seen in a while.".