{"id":145732,"date":"2025-02-25T12:17:42","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T10:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?p=145732"},"modified":"2025-02-25T12:17:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T10:17:46","slug":"the-power-of-collective-action-why-change-always-starts-with-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?p=145732","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Collective Action: Why Change Always Starts With Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>&#8220;The world doesn\u2019t change because those in power decide it should. It changes because people with nothing but their voices and their courage decide that enough is enough.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"922\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9bqoJDEhCnw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s be honest. Most of us, at some point, have felt powerless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The system feels too big. The problems feel endless. And when you\u2019re standing alone\u2014when the world tells you that <em>nothing you do will ever make a difference<\/em>\u2014it\u2019s easy to believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They <em>want<\/em> us to believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because the greatest trick those in power ever pulled was convincing the rest of us that we have none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>History Is Not What You Think It Is<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When we talk about history, we like to act like change was inevitable. Like the world was always going to get better. Like human rights, democracy, justice\u2014they were <em>bound<\/em> to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that\u2019s not true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing\u2014<strong>nothing<\/strong>\u2014changed on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every right we have today, every freedom we take for granted, had to be <strong>fought for<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And not by presidents, or billionaires, or CEOs. Not by the people who benefited from the status quo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By ordinary people. By workers who refused to be exploited. By students who refused to be silent. By communities who decided that <em>they<\/em> were the ones who would rewrite the rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The People Who Were Told \u201cYou Can\u2019t Win\u201d (And Did Anyway)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"922\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0UOTLqmRr2U?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>civil rights movement<\/strong> wasn\u2019t led by politicians\u2014it was led by Black students sitting at lunch counters, by families marching in the streets, by people who had been told their entire lives that they had no power <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"922\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_KhYRqozTDE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>women\u2019s suffrage movement<\/strong> wasn\u2019t led by world leaders\u2014it was led by women who were beaten, jailed, ridiculed, and still refused to back down.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"922\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kWPQ_ArREKo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>LGBTQ+ rights movement<\/strong> didn\u2019t start in boardrooms\u2014it started in the streets, in bars, in protests that people called \u201cradical\u201d until the world caught up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>None of these movements started with the powerful. They started with <strong>the powerless deciding they weren\u2019t powerless anymore.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why We Keep Falling for the Same Old Lie<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, here\u2019s where it gets dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because every time a movement wins, every time ordinary people remind the world that <em>they<\/em> are the ones who shape history\u2014there\u2019s a backlash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it always sounds the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;It was different back then. Things don\u2019t work like that anymore.&#8221;<\/em><br \/><em>&#8220;You can\u2019t fight the system.&#8221;<\/em><br \/><em>&#8220;Protests don\u2019t change anything.&#8221;<\/em><br \/><em>&#8220;Just vote and be patient.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They tell us these things not because they\u2019re true\u2014but because they\u2019re afraid of what happens when we stop believing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because here\u2019s the truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nothing is too big to be challenged.<\/strong><br \/><strong>No system is too powerful to fall.<\/strong><br \/><strong>And the moment people realize that, history shifts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"922\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c_g1BMVFcuw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>This Isn\u2019t Just the Past\u2014It\u2019s Happening Right Now<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Still think collective action doesn\u2019t work? Look around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Workers across industries<\/strong>\u2014from Hollywood writers to Amazon employees\u2014are winning battles against corporations that once seemed untouchable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate activists<\/strong> are forcing banks and governments to change policies that were written to protect fossil fuel profits.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Young people are shaping elections, rewriting narratives, and refusing to accept a future designed by those who won\u2019t have to live in it.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>People are overthrowing established governments <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"922\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rhFQWFHfrrY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And just like before, we\u2019re being told <em>it doesn\u2019t matter<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And just like before, the people in power are hoping we believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Tipping Point: When Resistance Becomes Unstoppable<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every movement starts small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One person refuses to move to the back of the bus.<br \/>One student stands in front of a tank.<br \/>One whistleblower speaks up when it&#8217;s easier to stay silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At first, nothing happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then, <strong>everything does.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because change doesn\u2019t come when the powerful decide it should. <strong>It comes when the powerless refuse to wait any longer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Real Question: Will We Be the Ones Who Let It Slip Away?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Right now, in this moment, we are living in the kind of history that future generations will look back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The kind where people will ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;What were they doing? Did they fight for something bigger than themselves? Or did they just accept the world as it was handed to them?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The truth is, we don\u2019t get to sit this one out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are either the ones who demand change\u2014or we are the ones who allow injustice to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because <strong>silence is a choice.<\/strong><br \/><strong>Inaction is a decision.<\/strong><br \/><strong>And history belongs to those who show up.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only question left is: <strong>Which side are we on?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The world doesn\u2019t change because those in power decide it should. It changes because people with nothing but their voices and their courage decide that enough is enough.&#8221; Let\u2019s be honest. Most of us, at some point, have felt powerless. The system feels too big. The problems feel endless. And when you\u2019re standing alone\u2014when the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":145739,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[4074,4075,4073],"class_list":["post-145732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-other-stuff","tag-protests","tag-social-change","tag-the-power-of-collective-action"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecuriousbrain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-power-of-collective-action-w.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1175,"url":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?p=1175","url_meta":{"origin":145732,"position":0},"title":"Animal Collective &#8211; My Girls","author":"thebrainbehind","date":"10\/06\/2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Animal Collective - My Girls from Rob Chesnutt on Vimeo. Unofficial video for My Girls, by Rob Chesnutt","rel":"","context":"In &quot;sounds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"sounds","link":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8425,"url":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?p=8425","url_meta":{"origin":145732,"position":1},"title":"Jailbreak Collective iPhone Magnets","author":"thebrainbehind","date":"14\/04\/2010","format":false,"excerpt":"For all the iphone freaks out there Jailbreak Collective designed this very cool iPhone Magnets for your fridge!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;packaging design&quot;","block_context":{"text":"packaging design","link":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?cat=108"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jailbreaktoys.com\/v\/vspfiles\/photos\/MGAPP00-2T.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2978,"url":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?p=2978","url_meta":{"origin":145732,"position":2},"title":"Laurel Collective &#8211; Fax of Death","author":"thebrainbehind","date":"30\/09\/2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Laurel Collective - Fax of Death from Joe Lea on Vimeo. 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In a world overflowing with opinions, algorithms, and noise \u2014 why is clear thinking vanishing? This video uncovers the uncomfortable truth behind the disappearance of critical thinking and the rise of what philosophers now call collective stupidity \u2014 a condition where we stop questioning, start conforming,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;videos&quot;","block_context":{"text":"videos","link":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?cat=193"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecuriousbrain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/why-critical-thinking-is-disappe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecuriousbrain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/why-critical-thinking-is-disappe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecuriousbrain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/why-critical-thinking-is-disappe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecuriousbrain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/why-critical-thinking-is-disappe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecuriousbrain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/why-critical-thinking-is-disappe.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":68637,"url":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?p=68637","url_meta":{"origin":145732,"position":5},"title":"Donning the Digital Mask: Anonymous","author":"thebrainbehind","date":"28\/05\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/128797601 Since its beginning on 4chan, the internet-driven collective Anonymous has emerged as one of the leading hacktivist movements, targeting high-profile institutions with fearless cyber attacks. Looking into how this collective of online hackers went from pranksters to vigilantes for global justice lead to an intriguing discovery of unique qualities\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;videos&quot;","block_context":{"text":"videos","link":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/?cat=193"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=145732"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145740,"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145732\/revisions\/145740"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/145739"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=145732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=145732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecuriousbrain.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=145732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}