Five Ways to Stay Focused During a Decline in the Movement

All radicals go through ups and downs. It is exhilarating when you are part of a movement that is changing the world. You are in the news and influencing debates on issues that you care about; your relationships with friends (and enemies) become more impassioned; and unanticipated political and personal opportunities open up before you. All the years spent on the margins of political life seem to be vindicated. Suddenly everything makes sense.

But then there are the downs. Whether it is because of internal problems, an inability to respond to changes in the political landscape, or because you actually accomplished many of your aims, there is a sharp deceleration in activity. Attendance at your meetings drops, reporters stop calling, and your group turns inward. You are back on the fringes.

Although we “know” that our political fortunes will vacillate, dealing with a downward shift in movement activity is always tough. It is common to feel depressed, estranged from friends, and without a sense of purpose. In fact, many people drop out of politics altogether after a particularly sharp decline.

In my case, I struggled to remain focused after the disintegration of the environmental and anti-globalization movements (in the early 1990s and early 2000s, respectively). I got through it and remain committed, but it was a challenge.

During the process, I tried to reflect on what was happening and remain attentive to strategies that helped me cope. Below I’ve compiled a list of the five that I found most useful.

1. Be realistic. Opposition movements may be on a downswing and, if they are, you need to face the facts. You’ll only set yourself (and others) up for disappointment by refusing to acknowledge the problem.

2. Take advantage of it. A lull in social conflicts actually gives you a great opportunity to regroup, clarify your goals, and nurture your organization or political community for the long haul (which is generally impossible during periods of constant mobilization). Use the time well. What you do in the heat of battle is largely determined by what you did before the battle began.

3. Don’t get isolated. A decline in movement activity typically fragments the community that goes along with it and this, in turn, hastens the movement’s decline.

Don’t let this to happen. If you’re feeling uneasy about the movement, then your friends and comrades probably are too. Ask them for their thoughts. They may be going through exactly the same thing and, if you talk about it, you may be able to come up with a creative, collective reply.

4. Look to the past. Many people have experienced this before and some may have valuable lessons to impart. Speak to activists who have been around for decades, read biographies, dig in the archives. Research movements that have succeeded, struggled with hardship, and failed altogether. History can help you think through your response to contemporary difficulties.

5. Visualize the future. Try to imagine what the movement might look like if it grew into a transformative force of world historical dimensions. What would your life be like? What organizations and groups might exist? What would politics be like? Dream and keep your dreams in mind at all times.

All movements die, but so do all societies. We can expedite the disappearance of this one by not letting the inevitable fluctuations in political life disrupt our concentration on long term goals. The maxims listed above helped me do this during moments of turmoil and doubt. Give them a try and let me know if you find them useful.

Do you have a tip for how to stay focused while confronting an ebb in the movement? If so, please submit it below.