In today’s complex world, actions are either articulate and comprehensive or mere restlessness. Even when they lead to something, it is nothing more than opportunism, a far cry from pragmatism, which is the art of advancing ideas on all fronts in their service, rather than exploiting them as trading trends for the ascent of one’s ego and portfolio.
Pragmatically, the ego must be put at the service of what can subtly alter the course of things. I have dedicated my most recent publication to this, Challenge to the future.
I argue that movements, political groups, and communities have both a significant conservative value and the ability to concentrate a critical mass from which to operate across various transversalities, on different planes, as long as selfishness and the ambition to dominate the people one interacts with are abandoned, and one arrives at the joyful wisdom of being totally disinterested.
As for mass political parties, it makes no sense to approach them through ideological stakes or to insist on being represented by them in a zealous form of fanaticism. Parties can contribute a lot to make things happen, but much depends on who—both from within and especially from outside—brings new impulses. In any case, no party can assume real power today, as it is much more articulated than in the past, and is a fabric of lobbying and deep power that is independent of institutions. Only by prioritizing the creation of new powers can things truly be changed, regardless of which party is in government.
This means abandoning expectations that are beyond our control, beyond our concrete commitment. We cannot rely on others to do the work for us. Therefore, no leader or party is sufficient, no community or group is sufficient, and especially no rigid and pure ideology makes sense. What matters is our willingness to act, build, create, and communicate.
A revolution that starts with small things, particularly in communication, where we must learn to act as repeaters, as propagators, and not as information terminals to be judged arrogantly from the couch. Small positive changes have significant effects.
Happy New Year, and may it find us humble and active!
