On dealing with authoritarian pressures
- They don't expect - and can't really handle - long term resistance. They see us as collections of emotional trauma triggers, easily controlled through fear.
- If they can't terrorize us 24/7, they've already lost.
- Resisting fascism depends on not giving in to the terror impulse we all feel when the bully comes at us. Protect your mental health so you're not in the constant state of terror they need you to be in.
- Staying in touch with who we are - our core values, preferences, beliefs, honor, and ethics - helps to build and reinforce the inner strength we need to stay resistant.
- They are no different than an abusive parent or partner who sees us only as extensions of themselves - disconnected and isolated from everything they need to feel whole. They know how powerful we are when we stay connected to each other, and they'll work to break us down into smaller and smaller groups, and to set us against one another.
It sounds kinda hokey - to me anyway - but finding community, and making common cause with as many people as possible is still the best way to honor our own unique humanity. Not just to see ourselves in other people, but to see them in us as well.
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