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originally posted in:Sapphire
3/3/2013 9:04:25 AM
27

Are you concerned about social justice?

It's no secret to most of you that I'm heavily involved in campaigns for equal rights for several disadvantaged groups, chiefly women, people of colour and LGBTQ people. It plays a very large part in my life both on and offline - online in the form of blogging, petitioning, writing to government members and the like, and offline in the form of charity events, donations, counselling and general activism within my community. I feel like these issues are highly important and I want to do my part to both raise awareness and change attitudes in my local community and beyond. It's made me unpopular at times, but it's also incredibly rewarding. How big a role would you say these issues play in your life? Are you an avid social justice campaigner, someone who couldn't care less, or somewhere in between? Would you be interested in joining local efforts to combat these injustices in your community? Or perhaps you already are involved and have some cool stories to share. Talk about the role social justice has in your life ITT.
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  • I was far more involved and passionate when I was younger. Then I learned about social inertia and realized that cursing the dark is always less effective than lighting a candle. I realized and determined that my actions, how I chose to interact with others, the fact that I can more effectively change the minds of people by talking, reasoning and setting a valid/positive example than I ever could by shouting at them, that's when I calmed down and started worrying about how to best live my life and lead by example and demonstrating my values, rather than scolding others for theirs (which I had determined were flawed compared to mine). I found that no one EVER changes the mind of another. The only person who can change a mind is the owner of the mind and the only reason they will change it is if they determine (for themselves and by themselves) that "there is a better way". The only way to get people to realize there is a better way is to show them, and let them decide for themselves. Shouting, correcting, scolding, protesting, all that does is make people entrench and more sure of their current position. Change takes time, some problems have to die along with the generations who felt those problems were acceptable. No one ever lives to see "everything turn out the way it should be" and the best anyone can hope for is to be an example and an influence to help others to think about things for themselves. That long-term view, that allowance for social inertia (where a society at rest tends to stay at rest and a society at motion in a certain direction tends to maintain that direction) is better influenced by persistent and consistent calm demonstration (through your ongoing and consistent practice) of your ideals, not by demonstrating loudly in the face of "the problem".

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