What follows is one humble suggestion on how to keep building the snowball that will flatten the Republican attack on the middle class. The ideas in this diary are meant to be taken off our little orange marble and spread around. Please consider doing so if you find this helpful.
We all have friends that are less political than we are. Maybe their heart is in the right place, but for whatever reason the news cycle of politics is not for them. They'd rather laugh at Charlie Sheen, (I admit, I am guilty of this.) Maybe they are kind of aware of what has been going on and generally support teachers and public employees. Maybe they are getting a bit angry but still feel like this problem is way bigger than them and after all, "What can one person do?"
"AH-HA!" You reply, "You can do magic! You can influence someone you don't even know!"
Wonder how? Please follow...
Let me stop here and confess. I am about to present a scientific result and then make an extension of that result into politics and protest. To the best of my knowledge this new application has not been studied and at this point is what we would call a hypothesis. I am asking you to get on board with this hypothesis because I think it is a plausible and useful way of thinking about the problem of getting our friends' bums off their seats and into action.
Heard of this study?
Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network
Here is the take home message:
Clusters of happy and unhappy people are visible in the network, and the relationship between people’s happiness extends up to three degrees of separation (for example, to the friends of one’s friends’ friends). People who are surrounded by many happy people and those who are central in the network are more likely to become happy in the future. Longitudinal statistical models suggest that clusters of happiness result from the spread of happiness and not just a tendency for people to associate with similar individuals. A friend who lives within a mile (about 1.6 km) and who becomes happy increases the probability that a person is happy by 25%
This may seem a little wacky, but the authors present a compelling argument that I think is also aligned with the Buddhist idea of the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. Western science supporting Eastern philosophy? Maybe they are onto something. Your being happy can travel through the network and raise a complete stranger's happiness.
Okay so maybe now you are wondering what the heck this has to do with politics and protest. I believe that the tendency to get in your car and drive to Madison to get rowdy can spread through a social network just like happiness can. Maybe you say "Duh" to this. Great. Think about it this way: Your act of protest can make it more likely that someone you don't even know will go protest the next weekend. Feel powerful yet? Say it takes 20 points of righteous anger to get in your car and drive to Madison. Taking that step and telling everyone that you did it makes it seem that much more socially acceptable to everyone you tell. You are doling out righteous anger points every time you take action. +1 for a relevant facebook link, +10 for some chanting at the WI Capitol, +100 when that Local TV station interviews you.
We have the numbers on our side to win this, we just have to convince those on the sidelines to join the fight. Thinking of ourselves as a powerful node in this network can make this task seem a little more manageable.
You are now armed with a metaphor. Find a way to make it your own and share it with those who may be on the verge of taking action. To me the idea that we can influence people three degrees away from us is profoundly empowering.
Or if you think this is silly social science stuff, I hope you can still appreciate:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.