Inspiring words in a dispiriting time

There are many reasons for alarm right now, and none of us can focus on all of this at once, and none of us can single-handedly change anything. But all of us can do something. And in order to do anything, including engaging with the onslaught of information and limited options to protect and preserve our communities, we each must take time to recharge in order to survive for as long as we can. 

On this page, we have begun gathering ideas and statements that we found helpful as inspiration, encouragement, and comfort in the face of so much darkness. These are a mix of perspectives, sometimes contradicting, because there is not a single simple solution to these challenges: instead, we need to embrace countless approaches, varying ideas–all dedicated to democracy, justice, and humanity. 

When someone tells you tells you why bother?:
“You try 50 times and win the 51st. That’s how it works. Progress happens when you find ways to make it matter. And sometimes it’s just your persistence.” (Civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill on Bluesky)

“It’s important to try to slow things down…You can win a war by losing every battle slowly.” (Attorney/activist David Menschel on Bluesky)

“When millions of people do tiny things, we can disrupt these systems.” (Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez on Instagram)

When you feel overwhelmed:
“They want you to feel powerless and surrender and let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving.” (Rebecca Solnit https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/)

"As a sociologist, I need to tell you: Your overwhelm is the goal.

1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.

2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.

3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.

The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.

What now?

1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.

2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.

3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.

4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48 hours before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context

5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.

Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance” (Notes posted on facebook drawn from this podcast by sociologist Jennifer Walter)

“...Unlike 2016, we cannot think that it is enough to just resist, that it's sufficient to persist. Detente, just accepting what we have isn't enough. And so, this time, we must insist.

We must insist on a government and leaders that respect us and our needs. And that doesn't just mean the President and our federal government. I'm talking about the zoning committees that are forcing higher rents because they refuse to adjust, and the school board where your children or your neighbor's kids are being denied books and the truth.

I'm talking about insisting on speaking up when we see wrong or when we need more. No more polite acceptance or making excuses for prejudice. We have to demand better of ourselves and of our leaders.

We must insist on fighting for our rights even if we think we're going to lose. Because the record will show that we tried, that we filed lawsuits and lodged complaints and put TikToks out there if we still have TikTok, that we had social media solutions that we shared, and we made history report on our efforts. We must insist.

We must insist on being more important than anyone's wallet or their wishful thinking that it's not that bad. Because those who would sanction bigotry to justify profit or their own comfort should be held accountable, and we must insist. We must insist on holding power, even if it makes us uncomfortable, and even if they tell us it is not ours to hold.

We must insist on believing in our own power and the good change that we have accomplished, and the change that will continue to manifest, because we exist between elections. We exist between these moments. We exist between the harms, and we are responsible for making the good and making the change.” (From Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams: Stacey’s Post-Election Message and The Power of Music, Nov 7, 2024 Copyright Stacey Abrams)

“Remember that there are more of us than there are of them.” (Local persister)

When people in your life or online try to draw you into bad faith arguments
“When someone tries to provoke you, don’t be provoked. When someone isn’t even trying to provoke you but you feel provoked anyway, don’t be provoked. When your opponents are trying to get you to talk about something, it’s probably because you shouldn’t. You don’t have to respond to everything. You can decide what your agenda is, and what your message is, and do your best to focus on that” (Tom Hamilton on Substack).

When it feels as if no one is doing anything about this five alarm emergency?
Take time to read Sherrilyn Ifill’s thoughtful post on Substack: democracy-is-crumbling-is-anybody

On February 12, Indivisible shared a link to a long list of news coverage of citizens taking action as a vivid reminder that we are not alone in standing up to support our democracy, our constitution, and our people.

Other words of comfort:
Here is a lovely website full of “Tips for trying times,” that gathers insights and encouraging words from a wide range of thinkers. Take a peek here: https://www.obligatorynoteofhope.com/tips/