Ryan Neugebauer and I have coauthored a new article, “Therapy for Radicals,” which appears on the site of Center for a Stateless Society (C4SS).
This essay takes its inspiration from Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals in exploring various practices that are indispensable for those who seek fundamental social change. Our focus is on the development of critical thinking skills that have therapeutic value insofar as they ground us in the real conditions of the world as we seek to change it.
We examine the meaning of the word “radical” and its practical implications for acting in the world as it is, not as we would like it to be. Among the issues that we explore: the cultivation of wisdom, patience, and persistence; the need for flexibility in the face of uncertainty; the importance of avoiding dogma, catastrophizing, and personalization; and the necessity of working within systems and outside them in the creation of constructive alternatives. We also address the false alternative of evolution versus revolution and the problems inherent in both ‘totalizing’ and ‘atomizing’ strategies for change.
We argue that keeping context is essential to understanding our own limitations and potentials in a way that sacrifices neither our noble social ideals nor the requirements of our personal flourishing.
As an aside, I especially enjoyed working with Ryan, with whom I’ve had many dialogues featured on Notablog. In this particular article, my own work in political & social theory and social science methodology intersected nicely with Ryan’s training in the counseling field. Ryan received his Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, and was a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-A) before leaving the field and establishing his own Life Coaching business: Freedom & Flourishing Life Coaching LLC.
Check it out our article at C4SS here. Some discussion on Facebook can be found here.
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