In many ways, it’s choosing to take a stance in and of itself that is what matters most. That’s where the power is. Standing for something and being willing to put your neck on the line in the form of some clearly stated principles and backing them with action. After all, whatever your stance and whatever your manifesto, it’s always going to appeal to some and turn others off in varying degrees.
It’s easy to talk yourself out of standing for something; worrying that what you say or do will be found to have holes in it. We can sit around extrapolating that the approach isn’t airtight. We can speculate how people will find flaws in it, or worse, us. The same applies to ideas; maybe other people have said or done the same sort of thing before, which means we risk being regarded as unoriginal.
It’s tempting to over-rationalise, finding reasons to not put your flag in the sand or your idea into the world. Yet almost every meaningful stance that has come before contained flaws, or rhymed with something that preceded it.
Such realities rarely stop people from engaging or caring though, because what we’re usually after is not the perfect statement, but someone who’s willing to be a compass in a wild world. Someone to lead by taking on the risk of adopting an imperfect stance.
The Thoughts of Others
- “People pay to see others believe in themselves.” – Kim Gordon
