Changing the World Requires Hope and Vulnerability

The two most important attributes to cultivate in people interested in changing the world are hope and vulnerability.  Without these elements, the courage and stamina needed to work for and lead others down the long and difficult path of positive social change will likely be absent.  The ability to create social change first requires showing up.  As noted in my last blog post, this year I was introduced by Brené Brown to the following quote from Theodore Roosevelt's speech "Citizenship In A Republic" delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on April 23, 1910. 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. "

Creating change means having the courage to show up in the arena without knowing how it will turn out.  The question is how do we encourage others to show up in the arena?  The answer is vulnerability.  Brené Brown has states that "vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change."  The birth of these things, especially social change, involves taking a risk and being vulnerable enough to act without knowing the outcome.  One must enter the arena without knowing how it will turn out.

Robert Schuller has stated, "what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"  This is a nice idea, but social change often is a greater leap of faith where failure is a frequent if not likely outcome.  Brené Brown takes it a step further by stating "what's worth doing even if you fail?"  This gets to the heart of what leads to social change, people being vulnerable enough to act in the face of possible failure.

In order to be vulnerable, people must have hope.  Shane Lopez has noted that hope is believing that tomorrow will be better than today and that individuals have the ability to influence that outcome.  Cornel West makes the point that hope is often required to pursue social change because often the evidence does not look very good.

"You have to draw a distinction between hope and optimism. Vaclav Havel put it well when he said “optimism” is the belief that things are going to turn out as you would like, as opposed to “hope,” which is when you are thoroughly convinced something is moral and right and just and therefore you fight regardless of the consequences. In that sense, I’m full of hope but in no way optimistic."

Social change only takes place when dedicated people step up, without certainty of success, and enter the arena.  Getting people to take this step requires the cultivation of hope and vulnerability.  Folks must see that their cause is just and possible with a willingness to act with no guarantee of success.